The chicks have all taken their first flights. The young falcons will stay close to the nestsite for the next month or two, and their parents will watch over them, feed them, and help them to practice their flying and hunting skills. Scott Wright, nest monitor, reports: "Soon the parents will drop the food in mid-air and watch the kids dive for it, then they will bring in live food, and drop it."
Indigo, K 80, waits for a delivery from her parents.
The first few months of flying are dangerous for young peregrines as they must learn to fly successfully at high speeds. Think of a teenager who just gotten his or her driver's license and then is handed the keys to a car that can go 150MPH!!! One thing Mother Nature does to help the new flyers survive is to give them "Speed Brakes" of a sort. If you look closely at the edges of the juvenile feathers you can see a brownish ROUGH edge. This causes a slower flow of air over the wing and makes the young falcons fly slower than adults who have molted into adult feathers. Look closely at pictures of the young falcons and compare them to their parents to see the difference in plumage.
SW's adult plumage is on the left - notice the difference in color as well as the structure.
Juvenile feathers are on the right and show "Nature's Speed Brakes".
An eyewitness describes some fledgling activity:
"I looked up and there was a juvenile flying with one of the parents. Watched them for another 20 minutes as they started play fighting. The juvenile was chasing the parent and when it got close enough it tapped the parent with its talons. This went on for at least 10 minutes, the juvenile SCREE'ing the entire time. He/she 'caught' the parent 4 or 5 times before stopping for a rest on the Tower. Whoever it was has got his/her flying skills down pat. Flight was smooth and graceful and a lot of gliding. This one should be ready to hunt on its own soon. One scary moment when it came REAL close to the Tower. I thought for sure it was going to hit it hard. Nope! A quick *flick* of the wings and he/she sailed right by the windows."
Soon, the chicks will begin their own lives and fly to parts unknown. Since they wear bands, we may find out what happens to them. Where will they go and how will their lives turn out?
Some work has been done with satellite telemetry to track young falcons after they fledge – but it is very expensive. You might try checking the following link to see if any young birds are followed by satellite this year:
This draws the 2006 Raptors in the City program to a close. Will Buckeye and SW return to the Terminal Tower nestsite in Cleveland in 2007? Be sure to join us early next year when the cycle of life begins again.
Our thanks to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History for sponsoring the FalconCams. Learn more about the museum at: http://www.cmnh.org/
Our special thanks to Scott Wright, volunteer peregrine nest monitor for the Ohio Division of Wildlife, for his many years of care and concern for the survival of the species, for the nest, and for the generous use of his fabulous photos. They may be used by children for school and/or personal projects, but please give Mr. Wright photo credit. All others must contact Mr. Wright directly for permission to use his photos.
In addition, our thanks to all people who have contributed to saving the species peregrine falcon in North America. With the help of people from all walks of life, the species is returning to health after nearly becoming extinct in North America.
