Canton Falcons

[Shaky]

This latest topic is enough "Canton Only" to be merged into the existing Canton topic.

[Donna]

Noticing nuances: contemplating how PFs recognize their mates

A couple albums ago during a discussion about Mo and his progression from his injury and in re-bonding with Mystic, a question was posed as to whether or not Mo’s stained feathers on his wing may have had something to do with Mystic’s rejection of him post-release. Although we’re not aware of any specific research about this possibility, we’d like to address this query in terms of what we’ve observed and understand about a peregrine’s recognition of one another.

We’ve seen peregrines posture and vocalize in response to an intruding peregrine that we spot only because we see the peregrine looking up and the intruder is high enough to be a speck in the sky to us. Just as we as human observers notice patterns and colors for bird identification yet can learn to pay attention to subtleties of flight (including: the “Beethoven’s 5th� flap, flap, glide pattern of redtailed hawks; the “on a mission� direct line flight of merlins; the “fingers� noticeable at the ends of an eagle’s wing tips as the eagle soars; the “V�-shaped/dihedral pattern and tilting in the wind flight of turkey vultures; the faster flaps of accipitors like cooper’s hawks and sharp-shinned hawks; and the cupped winged soaring of red-shouldered hawks, etc…) peregrines are thought to be tuned into subtle nuances of their mate so that they can recognize them in flight at a distance. We have to believe that their detection skills are so much more refined than those of the best of human observers, in addition to having exceedingly better eyesight than us. So, whereas we can learn to tell one raptor from another by their flight, it seems that peregrines can recognize individual peregrines by their subtle differences in flight.

Further, we have learned to recognize intruders even when their markings are similar and the leg bands either can’t be seen or the bird is un-banded because an intruding peregrine shows different patterns than resident birds. The standard perches chosen may be different and/or a new bird acts unfamiliar with the set-up of the site or surroundings and may try to perch where there is an inadequate ledge for perching. Again, if we can notice such differences one can only imagine how obvious it is to a peregrine who gauges so much about his or her survival and reproduction on the recognition of a mate versus a threat to the territory.

We did have an interesting experience at the Tower East site in 2010 that we posted about back then on CMNH. The resident female at the time (Diana) went to a rooftop and bathed out of view of the resident male (Stator). When she flew back toward the nest building all wet Stator began to attack her, first in the air and then by buzzing her as she was perched. She reacted and vocalized, but Diana had to endure his aggression for several passes before it seemed to “click� to Stator that it was her. We’re including some shots of this sequence in the album—you can see that Diana looked markedly different when wet (much darker with feathers sleeked to her body). Yet it didn’t take her drying off for Stator to start to recognize her. We assumed that there was some other recognizable feature and/or their verbal or nonverbal communication with one another. Diana did vocalize as Stator dove at her, and research indicates that other species of birds recognize one another through their individualized “voice� even when they seem to making the same sound.

Another experience that seems related is represented by several years ago when we attended a banding in Toledo where Stryker was the resident female. Stryker had a distinguishing mark over her right eye where a battle wound healed, but left a pigment-less white patch of feathers over her eye. From what we heard, Stryker got into the battle, but retained her site and the same mate (Angus), from that point on being easily identified by observers by the white streak over her eye. There were no reports of any alterations of the relationship among the pair, so there was no indication that the physical change impacted their interactions (although it’s not clear how closely monitored this pair was and we were too distant for regular trips to that site).

Once again, we welcome any data or research that adds to this discussion, but based on what we have seen and know to be true we believe that peregrines use a variety of factors to determine the identity of another peregrine including, but not limited to: flight style, markings, habits/patterns of perching and posturing, and vocalizations and/or “voice� fluctuations. We would suspect that even if Mystic were initially thrown off by Mo’s stained wing she would recognize him in other ways (much as Stator did with Diana even before she dried off from her bath, or as Angus seemed to recognize Stryker following her feather variation above her eye).


In a comment on FB they mentioned DC swooping on Beauty:  Chad Steele Dot Ca And Stator appear to have something in common! Males don't physically tackle females.. like females will males, but they swoop and harrass them...Dot Ca shows us that!!

[MAK]

 

[NoraH]

Interesting.  Like with dogs, they go on sight besides smell.  I had an Old English Sheepdog clipped down and the neighbor dog always loved playing with her.  The cat liked her.  The cat ran and hid when we first came home and the neighbor's dog growled at her until they got close to each other.  A neighbor up the street here raised cockatiels and they definitely knew if a person was "their person" or someone they knew.  I agree on the peregrines as far as vocalizations also.  Interesting Shaky!

[Shaky]

Interesting.  Like with dogs, they go on sight besides smell.  I had an Old English Sheepdog clipped down and the neighbor dog always loved playing with her.  The cat liked her.  The cat ran and hid when we first came home and the neighbor's dog growled at her until they got close to each other.  A neighbor up the street here raised cockatiels and they definitely knew if a person was "their person" or someone they knew.  I agree on the peregrines as far as vocalizations also.  Interesting Shaky!

You referred to Donna as Shaky. You made her dream come true.

[Donna]

Interesting.  Like with dogs, they go on sight besides smell.  I had an Old English Sheepdog clipped down and the neighbor dog always loved playing with her.  The cat liked her.  The cat ran and hid when we first came home and the neighbor's dog growled at her until they got close to each other.  A neighbor up the street here raised cockatiels and they definitely knew if a person was "their person" or someone they knew.  I agree on the peregrines as far as vocalizations also.  Interesting Shaky!

You referred to Donna as Shaky. You made her dream come true.

   LOL Shaky the 1st!

[Kris G.]

Interesting.  Like with dogs, they go on sight besides smell.  I had an Old English Sheepdog clipped down and the neighbor dog always loved playing with her.  The cat liked her.  The cat ran and hid when we first came home and the neighbor's dog growled at her until they got close to each other.  A neighbor up the street here raised cockatiels and they definitely knew if a person was "their person" or someone they knew.  I agree on the peregrines as far as vocalizations also.  Interesting Shaky!

You referred to Donna as Shaky. You made her dream come true.

             

[MAK]

Interesting.  Like with dogs, they go on sight besides smell.  I had an Old English Sheepdog clipped down and the neighbor dog always loved playing with her.  The cat liked her.  The cat ran and hid when we first came home and the neighbor's dog growled at her until they got close to each other.  A neighbor up the street here raised cockatiels and they definitely knew if a person was "their person" or someone they knew.  I agree on the peregrines as far as vocalizations also.  Interesting Shaky!

You referred to Donna as Shaky. You made her dream come true.

 

[NoraH]

   Hi Donna 

[Donna]

  Hi Donna 

That would be "Shaky2 LOL  Hi Nora!! 

[Tokira]

Many many years ago, my mentor in Siamese Breeding had CFA's Best Siamese, who was in considerable demand as a stud.  One nice lady, who was interested in starting a new line of Himalayan cats, asked to breed her Persian girl to him.  That was OK, but Frodo stood back and clearly said, "Mom, I can't do this".  The solution was to clip the girl down, whereupon he finally consented to do the deed...
Carol
now in WV

[Bobbie Ireland]

Many many years ago, my mentor in Siamese Breeding had CFA's Best Siamese, who was in considerable demand as a stud.  One nice lady, who was interested in starting a new line of Himalayan cats, asked to breed her Persian girl to him.  That was OK, but Frodo stood back and clearly said, "Mom, I can't do this".  The solution was to clip the girl down, whereupon he finally consented to do the deed...
Carol
now in WV

Good one, Carol!

[Donna]

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.743821212310320.1073741977.590679534291156&type=1

Pray for Prey: Ethical challenges when watching predator birds   BY C & C

*Warning: this album contains descriptions and photos that may be disturbing to some, entailing a pigeon wounded during peregrine cooperative hunting.

[Donna]

Dead falcon is Maverick

  Maverick on Right

By Ed Balint

Posted Jan. 5, 2012 at 12:01 AM
Updated Jan 5, 2012 at 5:21 AM

CANTON
A state wildlife official has confirmed that Maverick is the dead peregrine falcon that was found in downtown Canton.
Maverick, who has fathered falcon chicks since 2003 on a ledge at Chase Tower in downtown Canton, was discovered earlier this week along the side of the road.
After The Repository notified the Ohio Department of Natural Resources about the dead bird on Wednesday, Damon Greer, assistant wildlife management supervisor with the Ohio Division of Wildlife, said the falcon appeared to be Maverick.
Greer said later that the information on the two aluminum bands attached to the falcon matched with Maverick.
“It looks like he’s got some head trauma from probably running into a building,� he said. “And he’s also been run over.�
“... From my estimation, what I would guess probably happened is he probably got in a fight with another bird ... and then he probably hit a building.�
Peregrine falcons were removed from the federal endangered species list in 1999 and were downgraded to threatened on the Ohio endangered species list in 2008.
The ODNR tracks about 18 peregrine falcon nests in the state.

So sad, poor guy!!

[Kris G.]

Dead falcon is Maverick

 Maverick on Right

By Ed Balint

Posted Jan. 5, 2012 at 12:01 AM
Updated Jan 5, 2012 at 5:21 AM

CANTON
A state wildlife official has confirmed that Maverick is the dead peregrine falcon that was found in downtown Canton.
Maverick, who has fathered falcon chicks since 2003 on a ledge at Chase Tower in downtown Canton, was discovered earlier this week along the side of the road.
After The Repository notified the Ohio Department of Natural Resources about the dead bird on Wednesday, Damon Greer, assistant wildlife management supervisor with the Ohio Division of Wildlife, said the falcon appeared to be Maverick.
Greer said later that the information on the two aluminum bands attached to the falcon matched with Maverick.
“It looks like he’s got some head trauma from probably running into a building,� he said. “And he’s also been run over.�
“... From my estimation, what I would guess probably happened is he probably got in a fight with another bird ... and then he probably hit a building.�
Peregrine falcons were removed from the federal endangered species list in 1999 and were downgraded to threatened on the Ohio endangered species list in 2008.
The ODNR tracks about 18 peregrine falcon nests in the state.

So sad, poor guy!!

Maverick passed away 4 years ago, in 2012. Mystic and Maurice (Mo) were the resident Falcons last year.

Cam link:

https://cantonfalcon.click2stream.com/