3 February 2022
In 1970 peregrine falcons were listed as Endangered or Threatened in Pennsylvania but by last year (2021) their population had recovered so fully from extirpation during the DDT era that they were removed from both lists by the PA Game Commission.
Their status was different seven years ago. On Throw Back Thursday here’s a look back at peregrines from the winter of 2015.
The Neville Island I-79 Bridge was a favored nesting spot in 2015, guarded by the reigning female Magnum from Canton, OH. The bridge has been under construction and inaccessible to peregrines for the past two nesting seasons but when it opens up again I expect to see a pair nesting there. Magnum won’t be one of them. She disappeared around 2019.
In 2015 peregrines were not common at all so it was amazing to see one looking in an office window in Johnstown, PA that January.
When peregrines were endangered in Pennsylvania their chicks were banded so we could find out where they went. In February 2015 we learned that one of Downtown Pittsburgh’s youngsters was spending the winter in Wetzel County, West Virginia about 60 miles west of Morgantown.
Peregrines’ endangered status also meant that the PA Game Commission installed nestboxes at well-used nesting sites that had dangerous outcomes for the chicks. In February 2015 they installed a nestbox on the pier at the Tarentum Bridge.
Peregrines falcons are doing so well in PA now that the Game Commission no longer bands peregrine chicks nor do they install nestboxes. Nowadays there are more adult peregrines than good nesting sites in PA. This winter, watch for floaters lurking to claim good territories.
(photo credits: see the captions)
Interesting that they will not be installing any additional nest boxes. Will they continue to maintain the ones that exist? What is the state of the one on the Gulf Tower? It would be nice if the downtown couple would nest there instead of the Third Avenue site, which isn’t as suitable for the fledglings.