A female Peregrine falcon arrived at her new home at Eyes in the Sky, a live bird educational program of Santa Barbara Audubon Society. Dropped off at Rancho Palos Verdes animal control without information as to where she was found or what happened to her, the wounded falcon spent several months at South Bay Wildlife Rehab being treated for a wing injury that eventually healed, but not well enough to allow her to survive back in the wild. Temporarily named "Angel", she will join Max, a Great horned owl, "Ivan", a Red-tailed hawk, "Kachina", an American kestrel, and "Tecolita", a Western screech owl. All of them are no longer able to survive in the wild due to conflicts with human activities.
Peregrines are the fastest animals on earth, with speeds up to 242 mph during dives from up to 15,000 feet high, and have been partnering with humans as hunting companions for thousands of years. They are also considered one of the most stunningly beautiful birds of prey (see picture).
Their populations in the US crashed between 1950 and 1970 because of DDT poisoning which thinned their eggshells causing the eggs to collapse when the birds would brood. Eastern populations were wiped out and it was declared an Endangered Species. Enormous efforts were made to reestablish the species with much help of falconers and the Peregrine Fund. The species recovered enough to be removed from the Endangered Species List in 1999. Still rare here in Santa Barbara, a small but growing population exists in the Santa Ynez valley and throughout the US.
Peregrines have been successfully able to adapt to loss of habitat by occupying high rise ledges in major cities where they hunt pigeons, starlings, crows and other city-dwelling birds. However, survival rates of the reared young are poorer than those of Peregrines that nest in natural settings, as many young fledglings Peregrines often get hit by cars during their early flight practices.
For now, "Angel", a temporary name given to her since she came from the Los Angeles (city of angels) area, is slowly being introduced to human activities around her, and fed dead mice and quail which she has to take from the leather glove she later will stand on - once trust has been established. She is already accepting the food - grabbing it with her beak from the glove. Most raptors (birds of prey) easily accept already dead meals. In the wild, even eagles become scavengers when they encounter a fairly fresh animal carcass. Why work for it if it's right there just waiting?
Santa Barbara Audubon's Eyes in the Sky program is Santa Barbara's only live raptor education program, and has presented over 1,000 programs to schools, non-profits, community events, and senior residences over the past 10 years.
"Angel" for now
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