Hurricane, O’Connor and their two chicks nesting behind the big ‘H’ at a Rexdale hospital are proof that Ontario’s peregrine falcon population is soaring. They are one of 10 nesting pairs in the Greater Toronto Area.
The Ministry of Natural Resources is currently conducting a peregrine falcon survey and wants bird lovers to report occupied territories — an area where at least one falcon is known to live.
Lisa Nyman, a biologist with the ministry, is in charge of the survey.
“Their population is increasing,” Nyman said, “And we have confirmed new nests in Ontario this year.”
Just 25 years ago, finding a falcon in Ontario’s skies was like searching for Bigfoot. The pesticide DDT, now banned, decimated the population in the 1960s. The chemical works its way up the food chain from plants to insects to animals. DDT weakens egg shells, which leads to breakage during incubation and death. That effect eventually devastated top-tier predators like falcons and bald eagles.
Ontario began a program in 1986 whereby falcon chicks were placed on building and cliff ledges. That, combined with the curtailed use of DDT, led to a slow population recovery.
Peregrine falcons remained on the endangered list until 2005, when the most recent survey revealed 78 occupied falcon territories in Ontario. But ministry officials think that may jump to 100 when the survey is completed later this year, according to Chris Risley, a biologist with the ministry in Peterborough.
And it helped that they adapted to life among condo towers and office skyscrapers. Mark Nash, co-founder of the Canadian Peregrine Foundation, believes the population will continue its population increase.
“Urban living for peregrines is very hospitable,” Nash said. “It’s a very good lifestyle.”
The success of the peregrine conservation program is a positive story in an otherwise troubled time for birds, from oiled-up pelicans in the Gulf of Mexico to a million birds smashing into Toronto buildings.
Hurricane is a perfect example of those conservation efforts. He was born in 2004 at the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Toronto. Like a bachelor, he flew around the continent before settling down at the William Osler Health System in Rexdale, where he’s nested the past few years. But he still flies far and wide for the perfect mate each year.
“We don’t know where he met O’Connor, but she was born in Ohio,” Nash said. The pair then returned to Toronto, where Hurricane presented O’Connor with several nest options — as is customary in courting. He proved to be a skilled hunter and able provider, so O’Connor accepted him as a mate. She then chose their nesting location: the hospital.
O’Connor chose the same spot as Hurricane’s previous mates. But for the first time the pair successfully hatched chicks at the site. Hospital staff are watching over the baby falcons, according to Eva Kimbell, a William Osler Health System communication member.
“We are having a contest to name the babies for those working here,” Kimbell said.
It’s no surprise the rare birds are causing excitement — falcons are among the most fascinating birds because of their incredible hunting technique. They soar high above their targeted prey — in urban areas, often pigeons — and then plummet. They’ve been clocked at 389 km/h.
“They tuck their wings back, like an F-16 jet,” Nash said. “And dive-bomb their unsuspecting prey, which they kill on impact.”
Nash said he saw another falcon, Angel, a female that weighs about 2 pounds, launch herself like a cannonball into a soaring turkey vulture as she defended her territory near Bloor St. and Islington Ave. The vulture died in mid-air before crashing to the ground. 
Falcons also catch the eye of local birders, who play an important role in bird population collection, according to Gregor Beck, a biologist who edited Atlas of the Breeding Bird of Ontario, an exhaustive collection of Ontario bird data.
“The citizen scientist movement has absolutely taken off,” said Beck, no pun intended, “And birders are leading the way.”
It’s a way for the average person to turn a hobby into meaningful scientific data, Beck said.
The ministry’s scientists have completed most of their data collection, but want birders to point out any falcons they may have missed by contacting their local MNR office.
The nest in Rexdale is the last active nest in the GTA where a peregrine sighting is nearly guaranteed, in the morning or at dusk as the parents forage for their young.
O'Connor
