Reports began to come in that one of the chicks had fledged and now it has been confirmed that Tiger has flown! Nest monitors, Mr. and Mrs. Saladin, arrived bright and early this morning “….as the research suggests that fledging often occurs in the early morning around first daylight”. They found 3 of the 4 juveniles – but no Tiger.
and be brave enough to step off.”
Get a running start………
After much searching around the building, they found that Tiger had flown up to the 17th floor ledge and was perched on the ledge. Mr. and Mrs. Saladin believe that Tiger fledged Sunday and that “he picked an awesome day to fly-- nice weather and there were some good winds that can help elevate a juvie”.
Now it’s almost time for the rest of the group to fledge.
“Here’s how it’s done, kids……..
Flap, flap, flap…….
Nest monitor, Mr. Wright, tells us: "A young falcon's first few flights are fraught with danger. I have had to rescue and return a few young falcons to the nest after they ended up in harm's way. One year NONE needed to be assisted - that was a good year - and some years one needs much help....... this is normally the last hatched and it has had to struggle for food. Males have less body mass to grow and often fly first. Females, on the other hand, hardly ever end up on the ground (where they shouldn't be). The females are 1/3 as large as the boys, so they take longer to develop. I have had to rescue more males than females."
Who will fly next? Stay tuned for fledging news..........
Falcon fact: As you know, the peregrine falcon is the fastest creature on earth, and falcons have been revered by humans for 1,000s of years. An age-old sport is falconry, in which falcons are trained to hunt in the presence of humans. While the falcon or hawk is taking the prey solely for itself, the human falconer gets to watch, closely at hand. For information about the history of falconry go to:
