Still A Mystery

New male peregrine at Pitt, ID photos, 25 Mar 2016 (photos from the National Aviary falconcam at Univ of Pittsburgh)
New male peregrine at Pitt, 25 Mar 2016 (photos from the National Aviary falconcam at Univ of Pittsburgh)

Yesterday morning the new male peregrine at the Cathedral of Learning stepped on the nest and paused in front of the falconcam.

Ta dah!  He is banded and we captured two clear snapshots of his bands:  Black/Red, N/29.

(The black/white image was taken in the infrared light before dawn.)

Peregrine fans searched online for his identity and came up empty.  This isn’t surprising. Eastern states don’t keep an online database.

I sent the ID photos to Art McMorris, PA Game Commission Peregrine Coordinator, and he looked in his databases — which include states that don’t report online — and came up empty as well.

The bands are within the color/number series issued to a midwestern state but they are not in that state’s database. They were probably used somewhere else.  But where?

Art contacted peregrine coordinators in other states and is awaiting information.  He says it may take days to get the answer.  (Remember, it’s Easter season and the person who knows the answer may be on vacation.)

So we’ll just have to be patient.

In the meantime the new male’s bands provide us with an easy way to tell the two birds apart on camera:  Hope is Black/Green, he is Black/Red.  🙂

 

(photo from the National Aviary falconcam at Univ of Pittsburgh)

p.s.  Here’s a nice article in The Trib about Hope and her new mate: Cathedral peregrine finds new beau

26 thoughts on “Still A Mystery

  1. Hi Kate, Is there a post on your blog or any links about how long from mating until a first egg? I’ve been asked and I don’t know! Very happy about the new mate. Thank you for all your info and updates.

    1. Cindy P, it takes about two weeks+ for a new couple to get in tune enough for the female to lay more eggs.

    1. Katshappy, eagle bands are very different than peregrine bands — much bigger! They can also be in a different color series.

    1. Karen, don’t know. Art McMorris knows and will let us know the identity when he finds out.

  2. Try the Canadian Peregrine Foundation. Lots of falcons nesting in and around Toronto and Niagara and many are banded.

    1. Karen, it is not the same. b/R 29/N means black 29, red N. This bird is black N, red 29

  3. Hi Kate! Just catching up on all the news and I am so sorry to hear about E2. He left many healthy offspring, though. I am so excited to hear about the new male; waiting to find out his identity is better than Masterpiece Mystery! P.S. I think that I was just buzzed on my deck by a ruby-throated hummingbird. Is that even possible?!?

    1. Colleen, it is very early for hummingbirds in the Pittsburgh area but bumblebees are out today.

  4. Good Morning Kate, just wondering if you have seen the new male in Hope’s life since he visited the nest. I have not seen him on any of the videos. Thanks.

    1. Cindy, there is a lot of variation on the chest. Males tend to be whiter than females.

  5. Janet, N/29 was at the nestbox many times over the weekend. He was also seen shading the eggs from the sun yesterday.

  6. I have seen him at those lucky times when I happen to watch the live video while he’s there. He walks around the nest box, looks up frequently (probably watching Hope) and sits on the nest rail. He’s often too far to the right side to see his leg bands, but when he steps to his right, you can clearly see them.

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