A message from the Department of Environmental Conservation: On May 24, DEC staff were working carefully to band two peregrine chicks at the University at Buffalo nest box, which has been a productive site since the spring of 2009. Banding young birds in nests each year enables biologists to track productivity and populations of peregrine falcons. Upon opening the box to access the nestlings, one chick bumped the other off the edge to the ground below. This rare and unfortunate incident occurred quickly and was unavoidable. To ensure the safety of future nestlings, DEC will assess future banding efforts at this site. We regret the loss of this young peregrine.