Can Peregrine Falcons Swim?

This question was answered during my Fledge Watch on Saturday, July 14th. Many Falcon Watchers were on hand to watch Grace land on the edge of the island below the pedestrian bridge. At first she tentatively walked into the Genesee River. As Grace became more comfortable, she walked out a little further and started to bathe, by flapping her wings and splashing water over her body. That’s when it got really interesting.

Grace launched herself further into the deeper water. The Watchers watched in amazement as Grace started swimming! Luckily I had just switched to video mode and was able to take this video of Grace swimming. I personally have never seen a Peregrine swim before. I’ve seen them land near the river and bathe, but never actually enter the water to swim. Check it out here.

[Note that Peregrines often bathe when a suitable water source is available. Fledglings from past years in Rochester have been observed bathing in pools below the High Falls, though this is the first time anyone can recall seeing a bird apparently swimming around this area. -Jess]

Later in the watch Grace again landed on the island below, near a shallow depression filled with water. This time Linn joined her for a bath. These girls sure do like the water.

This entry was posted on Saturday, July 14th, 2007 at 2:28 PM and is filed under Fledge Watch Reports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.