Category Archives: Peregrines

No Nest At Gulf This Year

Nesting & Courtship, Peregrines
Gulf Tower nestbox, 24 Jan 2019 (snapshot from National Aviary’s Gulf Tower falconcam)

25 January 2019

Every spring we wonder where the Downtown peregrines will choose to nest. In the past seven years Dori has chosen Third Avenue four times, Gulf Tower twice, and once an alcove at the former Macy’s. She prefers Third Avenue even though the season ended badly there last year.

This year we know Dori won’t be using the Gulf Tower nestbox. The building’s pyramid roof and exterior walls need critical maintenance and work is already underway. Rather than risk a failed peregrine nest attempt, the nestbox was removed yesterday in hopes that Dori will choose another site, which she’s likely to do anyway.

To give you an idea of the building’s dilemma, here’s what’s up. During a routine exterior inspection last summer significant problems were found on all sides of the building and on nearly every elevation. Worse yet, the top six stories — the pyramid tower — were found to be missing more than 85% of their mortar joints. The conditions are so severe that they require immediate remediation.

The photo below shows the Gulf Tower in 2017 with a yellow circle for the nestbox location. Peregrines don’t like to nest where humans are above the nesting zone.

Gulf Tower, location of nest as seen from Flag Plaza (photo by John English)
Gulf Tower, nest location as seen from Flag Plaza (photo by John English)

Because the work affects the peregrines, Gulf Tower management conferred with the Pennsylvania Game Commission who provided recommendations: initially (a) Don’t work during the nesting season blackout dates, Feb 15th to July31st, then (b) a variety of strategies to try to exclude and deter the birds prior to the onset of nesting season, such as removing the nest box.

Given the masonry crisis there really wasn’t a choice. Remember when a 1,500 pound cornice fell from the Frick Building 18 months ago? Fortunately no one was hurt but the streets were closed for three weeks while crews constructed protective walls and encapsulated the damaged granite. Then repairs began. (Click here for WTAE video, here for P-G article.) Rugby Realty owns both the Frick Building and the Gulf Tower so they know exactly what can happen. They can’t afford to delay Gulf Tower repairs.

So this year there’s no Gulf Tower nestbox and no falconcam. However building management plans to complete masonry repairs by the end of 2019 and reinstall the nestbox for the 2020 season. The falconcam will be back next year.

For now we know where the Downtown peregrines won’t nest but not where they will nest. Dori is very creative. If she doesn’t choose Third Avenue I’ll be asking you to search for her just as we did in 2015.

(photo of nestbox from the National Aviary falconcam at Gulf Tower; photo of the Gulf Tower by John English)

Eating Crow?

Peregrines, Songbirds
Evidence of a peregrine meal. What is it? (photo by Kate St. John)

Early this month when Bob Mulvihill stepped out on the ledge to clean the Cathedral of Learning falconcams, he found this evidence of a peregrine’s meal. What species is it? Did the peregrines eat a crow?

The remaining head feathers are black and slightly iridescent. The beak is big and a bit down-curved. The feet look rather large for the bird’s body. Obviously the bird has plastic color-bands but there was no USFW band on its right leg so there’s no way to trace it.

Here’s a closer look:

Crow beaks are 2.5 inches long. How long is the beak on this bird? Less than 1 inch.

The iridescent head feathers and slightly down-curved one-inch bill point to a common grackle rather than a crow.

I’m still not sure what this bird was, but I do know the peregrines did not eat crow. 😉

(photos by Kate St. John)

New Peregrine Identified at Harmar

Peregrines
Peregrine falcon at Harmar, 11 Jan 2019 (photo by Gina Gilmore)

During the winter folks watching the Harmar bald eagles’ nest have an added birding bonus. There’s often a peregrine falcon perched at the Allegheny River near the Hulton Bridge.

In November 2017 Amy Henrici began seeing a single banded adult peregrine at the Hulton Bridge, but only during the winter. This winter there’s a banded peregrine there again. Gina Gilmore has been taking pictures and Rob Protz has been forwarding her photos to Art McMorris, Peregrine Coordinator for the PA Game Commission.

There’s no way to know if this is the same individual as last year but she’s certainly a beautiful bird.

Peregrine at Harmar, 4 Jan 2019 (photo by Gina Gilmore)

Last week Gina got good photographs of the color band showing the number 48 on Black.

Peregrine at Harmar, black band identified (photo and annotations by Gina Gilmore)

… and a Blue N.

Peregrine at Harmar, blue band N
12 Jan 2019 (photo by Gina Gilmore)

So now we know who she is. Black/Blue 48/N is a female peregrine who hatched three years ago, May 2016, at the Tower Building (City-County Building) in South Bend, Indiana. She was banded by John Castrale. Gina nicknamed her “Ms. Indiana.” (*)

Because the bird is three years old, this photo of her head and wing coverts is very intriguing. She still has some brown juvenile plumage in her gray wing coverts and juvenile “eyes” on the back of her head. Normally this indicates a two year old bird.

Peregrine at Harmar, 4 Jan 2019 (photo by Gina Gilmore)

Peregrine fan Kathy Majich of Toronto recognized this plumage quirk. “Ms. Indiana” is one of the last chicks raised by Zeus and Maltese in South Bend before he disappeared during fights with a new male in April 2017. Kathy says she may have inherited the persistent head pattern from her mother. Maltese has it, too.

“Ms. Indiana” is old enough to breed so the bridge, or perhaps the eagles’ cliff, could be of interest to her as a nesting site. However, Art McMorris says, “So far, all sightings that I know of have been of a single bird in the winter, starting in November and ending in April, and then starting again in November.”

Will she leave in April? Or will a male join her? Wait and see.

(photos by Gina Gilmore)

(*) Here’s how peregrines get their names in Pittsburgh.

Murmurations in Lorain

Bird Behavior, Peregrines

Murmuration of starlings in Lorain, Ohio, 30 Dec 2018 (video by Chad+Chris Saladin)

European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) are famous for their ability to fly in tight formation. When under attack by a peregrine falcon, they evade him in amazing ways.

Starlings under pressure fly closer together and shape-shift the flock like a giant blob in the sky. This makes it hard for the peregrine to choose a single bird as prey and gives their flocks a special name, a murmuration.

This winter Chad+Chris Saladin have been filming murmurations in Lorain, Ohio. Above on 30 December 2018, below on Christmas Day.

European starling murmuration in Lorain, Ohio on Christmas Day 2018 (video by Chad+Chris Saladin)

Whenever there’s a peregrine, the starlings murmur.

Bonus! Here’s a Facebook album by Chad+Chris with closeups of a peregrine hunting starlings. (click on the “See More” link embedded in the Facebook post)

(videos and photos by Chad+Chris Saladin; click on the captions to visit their Facebook page)

Pitt Peregrine Highlights, 2018

Peregrines

Peregrine nesting season is only two months away but it feels like an eternity right now. To get in the mood, here are some highlights from the Pitt peregrines in 2018.

(photos from the National Aviary falconcams at Univ. of Pittsburgh, Peter Bell, Anne Marie Bosnyak and John English)

A Rare Sighting

Nesting & Courtship, Peregrines
Hope at the Pitt peregrine nest, 17 Dec 2018

Pittsburgh’s peregrines rarely visit their nests in December and when they do it’s for a very short time.

Here are three snapshots of a quick visit Hope made to the Pitt peregrine nest on Monday 17 December 2018. She was there only two minutes.

Checking out the scrape, 17 Dec 2018
… and she’s gone, 17 Dec 2018

(photos from the National Aviary snapshot camera at Univ of Pittsburgh)

Racing Pigeons And Raptors

Bird Behavior, Birds of Prey, Doves & Chickens, Peregrines

Pigeons (Columba livia) and the raptors who hunt them have evolved together for millions of years. The raptors’ successful hunts leave only the fastest, most maneuverable pigeons. Speedy, elusive pigeons mean only the most skillful raptors can survive.  Most of us never get to see this interaction so this dramatic video from Romania is a real treat.

In 9 minutes Porumbeiro shows how his racing pigeons work to elude two raptors: first a peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), then a northern goshawk (Accipiter gentilis). 

The pigeons stay in a tight flock because raptors can’t pick out a victim in a moving ball of birds. The raptors try to separate one bird from the group by slicing through the flock. If it works, the raptor pursues the lone bird.

Who will win?

(video by pomumbeiro on YouTube)

Who’s Faster In Level Flight?

Peregrines, Water and Shore
Peregrine falcon “Buckeye” (Chad+Chris Saladin) and Red-breasted merganser (Steve Gosser)

Peregrine falcons are nicknamed “duck hawks” because ducks are one of their favorite foods.  For comparison, here’s a peregrine falcon and a red-breasted merganser.  Obviously the peregrine is more powerful.

Now imagine the peregrine is chasing the red-breasted merganser over Lake Erie.  If these two birds are traveling as fast as they can go in level flight, who would win?

In level flight (not in a dive) the red-breasted merganser is faster! 

Learn how fast these birds can go in this vintage blog post: Talk About Speed

(photo credits: peregrine falcon by Chad+Chris Saladin, red-breasted merganser by Steve Gosser)

World’s Fastest Animal on NOVA, Nov 21

Books & Events, Peregrines
World’s Fastest Animal premieres on NOVA, 21 Nov 2018 on PBS (screenshot from NOVA)

Peregrine Fans, our favorite bird is coming to PBS NOVA on Wednesday evening November 21.

The peregrine falcon is the fastest animal on earth, reaching speeds of up to 200 miles per hour when diving to capture prey.  PBS NOVA will show us how peregrines are designed to reach these speeds and will follow a falconer that believes his bird can go even faster. We’ll also see the family life of peregrines at a nest in Chicago.

Click here or on the caption above to watch the preview.

Don’t miss the World’s Fastest Animal, premiering on Wednesday November 21 at 9pm ET on PBS.  Check your local listings for re-broadcast times in case you’re busy Wednesday night. In Pittsburgh, watch it on WQED.

(screenshot from the trailer of World’s Fastest Animal on PBS NOVA)

Peregrines Nesting in Australia

Nesting & Courtship, Peregrines
Peregrine nestcam at Charles Sturt University, Orange, NSW, Australia, Oct 2018

Not only is New South Wales, Australia 15 time zones ahead of Pittsburgh, but the seasons are six months ahead as well. Right now it’s spring in the town of Orange, Australia and peregrine falcons are nesting.

Location of Orange, NSW, Australia (screenshot from Google maps)

Back in 2008, Charles Sturt University set up a falconcam on the nesbox at their Orange campus. This year there are two cameras and great views of the active chicks. (Click here or on the map caption for a closer look at where this is.)

The mother peregrine, Diamond, laid three eggs 21-24 August 2018.  The two chicks hatched on 25-26 September and have kept Diamond and her mate Xavier very busy ever since. 

News of the falconcam was late to reach me so the chicks are now five weeks old and growing their brown feathers.   

Tune in soon to see the nestlings before they fly.   Click here for the CSU Falconcams. Read the latest news at the Falconcam Project page.

(screenshot of CSU Camera One from the CSU Falconcam Project. screenshot of Google map of Australia.  Click on the captions to see the originals)