In less than a week three peregrine nestlings will make their first flight in Downtown Pittsburgh. Because their nest is low they might need our help.
In the first 24 hours of flight, fledgling peregrines lack the wing strength to take off from the ground. If they land on the street they just stand there and may be hit by vehicles.
Last Friday’s photo shows they were speckled with white down and brown feathers.
By the time they fly they will be all brown with dark cheek stripes like the bird circled in red (and like this bird yesterday at Neville Island).
What you can do: If you see a peregrine on the street, call the PA Game Commission (PGC) at 724-238-9523. If you can safely do so, carefully corral and guard the bird until PGC arrives.
You can also volunteer for Fledge Watch June 13-20 during daylight hours in the vicinity of Fifth Avenue at Grant Street. (The Watch will end before June 20 if the last bird has flown for 24 hours.)
The #1 purpose of this Watch is to educate the public so lots of people know to call the Game Commission if they find a downed peregrine. Yes, we’d love to believe trained volunteers would find every bird, but the reality in Downtown Pittsburgh is that peregrines in trouble are found by people who’ve never seen a peregrine. People often tell building security guards about the birds so I’ve notified management/security at the nearby buildings.
The second purpose of the Watch is to station a few trained volunteers in the vicinity of Fifth Avenue and Grant Street to watch and wait just in case. This area is made up of sidewalks and private property so we cannot congregate as we do at the annual Pitt Peregrine Fledge Watch in Schenley Plaza. Two to four people at a time is all we need.
You can participate by formally signing up for a shift or by informally checking the area as you pass through on your way to work.
Learn what to do: Get training before you participate! I’ll conduct two basic training sessions at Mellon Square on Saturday June 13 at 10:00am and Monday June 15 at noon. You’ll recognize me by my hat and binoculars and bright fluorescent yellow backpack.
How to sign up: To volunteer for a shift, click here to see open times on the Downtown Pittsburgh Peregrine Fledge Watch Calendar (click on an appointment to see its time span). Then leave a comment on this article with your name, email address and the dates/times you’d like to volunteer. I will see your message and add your shift to the calendar.
If you cannot commit to a date/time but will be Downtown to watch informally, leave a comment with name, email and the location where you’ll be watching.
Meanwhile, though the nest doesn’t have a webcam Matthew Digiacomo is documenting the nestlings’ progress in photographs on his Flickr site. Click here or on this photo to see how beautiful they are.
I hope to meet you at Mellon Square.
(photo credits:
Downtown peregrine photos by Matthew Digiacomo.
Comparison photos of red-tailed hawk and peregrine by Katie Cunningham (hawk) and Kim Steininger (peregrine))
See this link if you have questions about the weather.
Thanks to Matt for sharing his photos and Flickr site! Great photographs!
Wow…they’re gonna have to get some serious feather growth in…can they do that in only a week’s time?
Yes, Gindy, peregrines develop quickly at the end
As of Tuesday, 6:00am: Already 9 people have stepped up to help by sending me a comment. THANK YOU, Volunteers!
Kate,
I’m looking at the calendar. Looks like some days the watch ends by 4 pm., others by 5:30–is that right, or am I looking on the calendar wrong?
(I’d be interested in doing it after 5:00, but is that not needed?) Thanks!
Liz & Everyone, After 5:00pm *is* needed. Thank you! I was filling in daytime first because it’s usually hard to get weekday coverage.
Makes me nervous to know that little one at of Dori’s is going to fledge soon. Also not related to peregrines. Would like update on eaglet from punxsatawney. i was away for a week and was wondering.
judy, I am confused. Do you mean Dorothy’s chick from the Cathedral of Learning? Or Dori’s 3 chicks Downtown? (The two adult females have similar names but are not the same bird.)
Flying: If peregrines don’t fly they don’t live. Peregrines aren’t afraid of heights. No need to be nervous.
Eaglet: I haven’t kept up with the news. I have been so busy with peregrines.
Hi Kate, I left message this am and don’t see it here and wondered if you received it. I can watch Sunday anytime and train on Saturday . Thanks, Julie Renz
JULIE RENZ, I’m unable to contact you because the email address you gave is bouncing from AOL. I need a good email address for you.
HELLO VOLUNTEERS,
I am not posting your “I will volunteer” comments on this blog. Instead I’m putting your requests on the calendar, then confirming with you individually.
Kate in my response yesterday it was meant for Dorothy. He just seems young yet to be fledging. Too attached I guess. A question I do have on Fledge day is if a chick is found on ground and PGC is called to site. What do they do with chick after he is rescued from the ground?
Would love to be in Pittsburg to volunteer and experience this but unable out of town. Will there be pictures posted?
judy, yes he is too young to fly. He will be all brown when he’s ready to fly.
Kate, I was wondering when the chick fledges and could possibly land on the ground and the PGC is notified. When the PGC arrives what do they do with the chick.
judy, when peregrine chicks are rescued from the ground they are put up high so they can try again. They are usually successful on the 2nd try.
Here’s a news story from Chicago that explains what happens there. This story is from 2012:
http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2012/06/07/baby-falcon-back-in-its-nest-after-fall-during-first-flight-in-loop/
Matthew’s flickr photos now show one chick that looks all brown. Could he/she fledge before the 13th?
Claire, possibly yes. The brown one still has pantaloons though, so I’m hoping he’ll wait until the weekend. Fingers crossed.
I work close to where the one chick was relocated. For a while mid-day Friday, the chick had moved up to the edge of the balcony, and I am guessing, difficult to see from the Fifth Avenue.
Still photo: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10153321510283955&set=a.498393713954.274865.828283954&type=1
Video: https://www.facebook.com/unicycleintransit/videos/10153321560088955/
This is in full view (as you can see). Should this occur again, is there a simple, quick way to contact you to be on the alert for a flight?
Stuart, This morning at Fledge Watch we discovered we can see that spot from Mellon Square (incredible, eh?), so we watched the chick and saw his mother watching him. Eventually his parents did a prey exchange in front of him as if to say, “If you come flying out here you’ll get something to eat.” Watchers on Fifth Ave then saw a very “flappy” peregrine (intense flapping is juvie behavior) and an adult circle overhead and then disappear from view. We think Fledgling #1 left the ledge and landed on another building. We don’t know where he is but his parents do — and that’s all that matters. I will send you an email with details for future use should another fledgling is rescued to your area.
As of today at 1:00pm the remaining two birds had not flown yet.
Hi Kate,
I can volunteer Sunday, June 14th at 4:30pm until 6:30pm. If you give me a location that I would be most useful, I will be there.
Jamie, see today’s blog post for details including location: http://www.birdsoutsidemywindow.org/2015/06/14/quick-peregrine-update/ No need to sign up, just come on down. (Don’t forget to write down the phone numbers on this flyer before you come.)
Thanks, Kate! I’ll be there!
Has the last chick fledge.
I don’t know. Haven’t heard that she has.