Julie O'Connor of Peregrine Watch, the program that lets people watch Duluth's peregrine falcon family on Greysolon Plaza, said in yesterday's blog post that the young falcon chicks were "so, so cute." Well, I'd say she was right, judging by the photo above.
They look tousled and homely, but you can see the beginnings of those sharp eyes and powerful feet that will serve the birds well as adults.
In an update today, O'Connor said young falcons typically stay in the deepest part of their nest boxes, just as wild ones, raised on cliff nests, stay pinned against the back wall rather than near the edge of the cliff. Instinct, one supposes.
A couple of years ago, O'Connor and Debbie Waters, both of Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory, made a "peregrine falcon chick's to-do list" before they can fly. I think I included it in a blog post last year, but if you missed it, here it is:
Things to do before I can fledge:
1. hatch
2. hold up head {3-4 days}
3. learn to stand up {10 days}
4. open wings without tipping over {15 days}
5. grow feathers, remove itchy white down {7-10 days}
6. learn to tear up food {2 days}
7. think (look) outside the box
8. walk around inside box {7-10 days}
9. flap wings
10. step up onto lip of box {1 day, increase seconds on lip with each try}
11. learn to grip a perch {1-2 days}
12. stand on lip of box with stability(first 2 feet, then practice one foot at a time)
13. develop balance on lip of box
14. open wings on lip of box
15. flap wings on lip of box
16. explore perches
17. repeat steps 10 through 15 on perches {1-3 days for entire process}
18. hop from perch to perch
19. learn to balance and grab a perch from the air
20. practice soaring while holding on to perches(open wings and hold them out while the wind blows on you) Uh huh! 21. practice letting go of perches while flapping hard(start with one foot at a time)
22. watch mom and dad (and other stuff) fly {5 days}
23. GO FOR IT!! {1 instant}
Evan O'Connor of Duluth holds a month-old peregrine falcon chick shortly after it was banded this week.
