mystery falcon at columbus site

[Donna]

Live, streaming video of this event will be broadcast via the NestCam
Tuesday, June 8 at 10:00 a.m. 

[Donna]

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Two peregrine falcon chicks living high above downtown were named and banded to help track Ohio conservation efforts.

The falcons, which hatched last month, were named Swoop and Spirit, 10TV News reported.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources showed the 3-week old falcons to school students.

http://www.10tv.com/live/content/local/stories/2010/06/08/slideshow_falcons.html Pics of banding

State Office Tower in Columbus, Ohio.
Tuesday, June 08, 2010
Banding Goes Great!
The Columbus banding event went extremely well. We believe, based on overall size that both chicks are females. The kids who won the naming contest were extremely enthusiastic to help put one of the leg bands on "their" falcon.

Believe it or not we sometimes get criticism from a few individuals for banding these birds. It's a shame that people do not undertand the significance of banding. The process is important for research purposes (how else would we know where our Columbus young disperse to and that it is Scout nesting in Columbus and where she came from?); and 2.) the actual banding event really helps to raise awareness about the species and wildlife conservation in general. Only a handful of people actually are able to attend the banding, however, live streaming the event makes it available to the world.

Regarding the naming contest, we are able to educate an entire school about peregrine falcons and increase the appreciation of the kids for wild creatures in their communities. Besides each individual student, through conversations the interest, knowledge and excitement is transferred to their parents, siblings, grandparents, friends, neighbors and so on and so on. Consider it an investment in the future!

While the chicks and adults may be stressed during the event they recover very, very quickly. We know from many years of banding many nestlings, that an hour out of the lives of these birds is well worth the exposure that the species receives resulting in increased education and awareness of people all over.

Here are the details on names/bands. Each bird received a purple U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service band on the right leg and a black over red band (b/r) on the left leg:
Swoop: 08/Y
Spirit: 09/Y

At some point in the near future we should have a video of the banding available on our website. It will take a little time for editing. As soon as it's ready and posted, I'll post the link here. Thanks to everyone for watching the banding! Now we prepare for the next stage--fledging! It won't be long!

[jeanne]

This is wonderful news!!!  I am such a believer in banding.  How else would we know such important information about these wonderful birds!  Wish we had banded Kaver.

[Donna]

This is wonderful news!!!  I am such a believer in banding.  How else would we know such important information about these wonderful birds!  Wish we had banded Kaver.

me too! 

[carly]

Very Sad News today for our friends in Cleveland, Terminal Towers - Ranger has collided with a building     Let's pray he pulls through 

Ranger Suffers Head Trauma in Collision with Building
Laura Jordan of the Medina Raptor Center relayed a message to the Museum that a falcon had been recovered on the sidewalk at the base of the Fifth Third Building at 600 Superior Avenue on Thursday at 9:50 AM and was being held in a box by building security. I retrieved the bird at 10:45 am. It was Ranger. He had apparently collided with the building and had collapsed on the sidewalk. No one witnessed the collision so we are unaware of why he hit the building. This is close to the territorial boundary between the Terminal Tower falcons and the Bohn Buildng falcons. So perhaps it was a territorial dispute.

Ranger was very groggy and had blood in his mouth and throat. Though able to stand and responsive to stimuli around him, he definitely was not ready to be released. I brought him back to the Museum and contacted Laura. We agreed that he needed veterinary assessment. He was transported to the Medina Raptor Center and then to Dr. Riggs. At last report (around 5:00 pm Thursday afternoon) Laura expressed deep concern over the head injury and gave a guarded prognosis. His condition had not improved over the course of the afternoon. If anything he was worse.

I will update as we learn more about his condition. We will all be keeping a close eye on SW and the three fledglings. There are numerous examples of a single Peregrine parent successfully caring for its late stage nestlings on its own. SW is clearly very experienced and should be up to the task.

[MAK]

    I shall pray for him.   

[Donna]

Oh so sad...poor Ranger. Hope it's not serious where he can't be released.

[Annette]

Poor Ranger. 

[jeanne]

Poor little guy.  I hate these collisions.  I will pray for him

[Bird Crazy]

OH NO! 

is there any news?

[Donna]

OH NO! 

is there any news?

YES!!! Not looking too good for Ranger. From the forum:

 Update on Ranger
I talked with Laura Jordan of the Medina Raptor Center at 2:45 pm on Friday, 6/11/2010. She reported that Ranger made it through last night at Dr. Riggs' veterinary clinic and, though he is very serious condition, there is some slight indication of improvement. He will be returned to Medina Raptor Center for weekend care and then returned to Dr. Riggs for a neurological assessment on Monday. I will post an update on Monday regarding his condition at that time.

[Donna]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRxnFB8OIHo

In the past few days I've gotten quite a few inquiries on the whereabouts of Trooper, the male. Folks aren't seeing him via the cams and are worried that he isn't around. He is present, he just hasn't been perching within view of the cams much. He is doing his part to care for the chicks by hunting. He is providing food but handing it off to Scout to feed to the chicks.  (Sounds like Archer) 

[Donna]

June 18

This morning marks the first time one of the chicks has made it to the upper ledge! I know folks will be worrying about a chick falling off the ledge and/or being blown off by a gust of wind. That is certainly a possibility given the nature of a cliff-nesting bird. However, in 15 years of hosting nesting peregrines at this site it has never happened so while technically it is possible it could occur, I would categorize it as not probable. While we hope it does not happen, keep in mind that peregrine falcons have been successfully raising young on cliffs (natural and man-made) all over the world for centuries and the species has been successful despite certain inherent dangers of that type of habitat.

A couple of points of optimism about the situation:
1) at many other sites the layout of the ledge and nestbox/tray puts the chicks closer to the edge much sooner than here in Columbus. As I have explained in previous posts, the layout of our ledge keeps them further from the edge until they are older.
2) their feathers are coming in so quickly that it won't be long until the chicks have enough flight feathers that even if one should happen to go off the ledge prematurely, it should be able to flutter to the ground. And don't forget, a week from now we will be talking about them flying anyway!

Another common question is what is that blob in front of the ledgecam? It is a "casting" or in other words a mass of undigested bones and feathers that the falcons expel after eating. It is very similar to an owl pellet but is called by a different name.

[MAK]

 

[huddiecat]

Donna, Any news on Ranger?  It has been a while so I wondered, and no news is probably good news.  I hope.