Title: Peregrine falcons are nesting in record numbers; half are in Northeast Ohio
Post by: Donna on 16-May-10, 08:42:44 AM
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- On any given day, the fastest flyers in the world perform acrobatics over downtown Cleveland, bringing business meetings to a halt, thrilling lunchtime crowds on Public Square and scattering flocks of terrorized pigeons.
Peregrine falcons, once at the top of the federal Endangered Species list, have bounced back in unprecedented numbers -- especially here in Northeast Ohio.
The region is home to half of the 26 nests with eggs or chicks spotted this spring in Ohio. And the Cleveland area boasts 10 of the nests, including one at Terminal Tower that round-the-clock web cameras beam to a worldwide audience.
What a difference three decades can make.
Before DDT was banned in 1972, pesticide poisoning drove peregrine falcons to the brink of extinction, and completely wiped them out east of the Mississippi River. Soon thereafter, captive-breeding programs using western birds helped to reestablish the species in the East.
The resilient raptors ended up thriving in some of the most improbable settings, such as Cleveland.
In fact, the urban landscape proved to be an inviting nesting area, said Harvey Webster, director of wildlife resources at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History and a falcon aficionado
The crevices and alcoves of skyscrapers and the walled canyons of downtown streets remind the falcons of their natural nesting environment on the mountain cliffs and ledges of the West. The city also offers an all-you-can-eat supply of pigeons and other flying food.
Urban birdwatchers gaze in awe as the crow-size falcons cruise high overhead, surveying potential prey, then tucking their wings and plunging like a fighter jet at speeds up to 200 mph.
When the spectacular hunters hit their targets, feathers fly and the stricken birds drop -- usually already dead. The streamlined raptors then pluck their kill in mid-air and carry them to a ledge for casual consumption.
"They are such a thrill to watch," said Webster. "They put on a show like no other."
No peregrine falcons better symbolize the species' successful urban adaptation than those that have resided on a 12th floor window ledge of the Terminal Tower. Peregrines first established residency there in 1988. Since then, three different males and three females have occupied the aerie, fledging more than 50 chicks during that time.
Naturalists from Ohio's Division of Wildlife banded three falcon chicks at the tower on Friday. And three cameras trained on the nest provide images, including the daily meal times, at http://snipurl.com/w8ogb at one-minute intervals.
Most of the recent shots show three fluffy white chicks, They spend most of the day sleeping, but perk up whenever one of the parents arrives with freshly caught prey.
More than 850 people from around the world regularly peruse the website and contribute observations and photographs to a forum on falcons. The web cameras are also serve as instructional aids for several schools across the country.
Webster, who helped establish the falcon cameras, contends that the raptors' comeback story offers valuable lessons for everyone.
"In retrospect, the demise of the peregrine falcon and bald eagle were wakeup calls," he said. "They were at the top of the food chain and ended up being the canaries in the coal mine. Humans might have been the next to go."
Peregrine falcons that nest on the Terminal Tower prey on pigeons and migrating birds, such as this red-winged blackbird.
Arrow, one of three peregrine falcon chicks plucked from its nest on the Terminal Tower on Friday, receives an identification band from a naturalist with the Ohio Division of Wildlife. Falcons have nested on the skyscrapers 12th floor ledge since 1988.
Peregrine falcons, once at the top of the federal Endangered Species list, have bounced back in unprecedented numbers -- especially here in Northeast Ohio.
The region is home to half of the 26 nests with eggs or chicks spotted this spring in Ohio. And the Cleveland area boasts 10 of the nests, including one at Terminal Tower that round-the-clock web cameras beam to a worldwide audience.
What a difference three decades can make.
Before DDT was banned in 1972, pesticide poisoning drove peregrine falcons to the brink of extinction, and completely wiped them out east of the Mississippi River. Soon thereafter, captive-breeding programs using western birds helped to reestablish the species in the East.
The resilient raptors ended up thriving in some of the most improbable settings, such as Cleveland.
In fact, the urban landscape proved to be an inviting nesting area, said Harvey Webster, director of wildlife resources at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History and a falcon aficionado
The crevices and alcoves of skyscrapers and the walled canyons of downtown streets remind the falcons of their natural nesting environment on the mountain cliffs and ledges of the West. The city also offers an all-you-can-eat supply of pigeons and other flying food.
Urban birdwatchers gaze in awe as the crow-size falcons cruise high overhead, surveying potential prey, then tucking their wings and plunging like a fighter jet at speeds up to 200 mph.
When the spectacular hunters hit their targets, feathers fly and the stricken birds drop -- usually already dead. The streamlined raptors then pluck their kill in mid-air and carry them to a ledge for casual consumption.
"They are such a thrill to watch," said Webster. "They put on a show like no other."
No peregrine falcons better symbolize the species' successful urban adaptation than those that have resided on a 12th floor window ledge of the Terminal Tower. Peregrines first established residency there in 1988. Since then, three different males and three females have occupied the aerie, fledging more than 50 chicks during that time.
Naturalists from Ohio's Division of Wildlife banded three falcon chicks at the tower on Friday. And three cameras trained on the nest provide images, including the daily meal times, at http://snipurl.com/w8ogb at one-minute intervals.
Most of the recent shots show three fluffy white chicks, They spend most of the day sleeping, but perk up whenever one of the parents arrives with freshly caught prey.
More than 850 people from around the world regularly peruse the website and contribute observations and photographs to a forum on falcons. The web cameras are also serve as instructional aids for several schools across the country.
Webster, who helped establish the falcon cameras, contends that the raptors' comeback story offers valuable lessons for everyone.
"In retrospect, the demise of the peregrine falcon and bald eagle were wakeup calls," he said. "They were at the top of the food chain and ended up being the canaries in the coal mine. Humans might have been the next to go."
Peregrine falcons that nest on the Terminal Tower prey on pigeons and migrating birds, such as this red-winged blackbird.
Arrow, one of three peregrine falcon chicks plucked from its nest on the Terminal Tower on Friday, receives an identification band from a naturalist with the Ohio Division of Wildlife. Falcons have nested on the skyscrapers 12th floor ledge since 1988.