Offspring Update: Ranger and Hunter
After all the great news we’ve received in the past few weeks regarding Mariah’s offspring, we have the unfortunate task to report that Ranger and Hunter’s 2008 clutch of eggs has apparently failed. Mark Nash and Linda Woods latest report (brought to us by Rochester Falconcam team member Carol Phillips) states that the three eggs in their nest have disappeared. Here’s Mark’s report from the Canadian Peregrine Foundation’s Midtown Toronto page:
May 3 – We have sad news to report today, as it appears that the three eggs that Ranger and Hunter were incubating are gone. Linda and I conducted a site visit today at the request of the Four Season Hotel to take a look at the situation to give them an update on the status of the birds given all of the territorial squabbling that has been happening with two adult females that have been observed fighting at this nest site in recent days. The reports have been streaming in that there has been some squabbling with the resident adult female – (named Ranger) and another unidentified female here at the Four Season nest site. We can only speculate that increased stress as a result of these territorial battles between the two females has caused Ranger to destroy her eggs. While this is unusual for this particular pair given the long history that we have on this pair, we have documented this happening over the years at several other nest sites with other territorial nesting pairs with increased stress. Our fingers crossed that Ranger and Hunter will attempt to produce another clutch of eggs, as it is still early in the season for this to happen.
Here’s a recent picture of Ranger taken by Mark Nash. Hatched in 2001, she is the daughter of Mariah and Cabot-Sirocco. It was the last set of offspring before Kaver’s arrival, and Ranger is the only one of the 2001 clutch whose current status is known.
Since 2002 she and her mate Hunter (hatched in 2000, Columbus, Ohio USA) have nested in Toronto, Ontario Canada. Their first nest was on the Canadian Tire building (Yonge and Eglinton Streets), but earlier this year they relocated to a new nest on the Four Seasons Hotel at the corner of Bloor and Yonge Streets in midtown Toronto’s Yorkville district. Late last month CPF observers reported a second female Peregrine in the area and some indications of territorial disputes.
Sadly, Ranger and Hunter have never had a successful nest. Since 2003 Ranger has laid eggs at her nest every year– sometimes double-clutching— but none have ever hatched. The nest sites appear to be well chosen, so the reason for the repeated failure of her clutches is not clear, but Toronto is a busy site with a lot of Peregrines. Territorial struggles and the stress that accompanies them, infertility problems, or a combination of the two could be responsible.
Like Mark and our friends at CPF, we’re hopeful that she and Hunter will be able to lay another clutch of eggs this year. Thanks to everyone at CPF for keeping up with Ranger and Hunter, and thanks to Carol for reporting this news.
-Jess
May 5th, 2008 at 6:49 PM
This is very sad news, as I read this I had tears in my eyes. I really hope she can try again this year. 🙁
May 6th, 2008 at 7:45 AM
Hmm, NEVER had a successful clutch in six years. I wonder if Hunter is infertile for some reason. There are a lot of nasty chemicals out in the world even if DDT is banned in the US. For years a peregrine pair in Helsingborg have failed to have even one egg of their own and there was the idea floated that some chemical in the area was a reason.
May 6th, 2008 at 12:24 PM
It is so sad that a female is so stressed out by territorial disputes that she ‘s destroying her own eggs. let;s hope she will reclutch again.
I have been reading a lot lately about a new enviromental toxic agent: DECA-BDE that has been found in peregrine eggs in enormous amounts. This DECA is affecting the embryonal braindevelopment. In Europe is has been banded fortunately for several years.
Bt the way the Helsingborgcouple are brother and sister, which is most likely the cause of her not viable eggs. She does lay clutches, but they never hatched.
In the meantime the hatching of Mariah and Kaver’s eggs is coming closer and closer. Looking so forward to that!
May 6th, 2008 at 3:09 PM
5/6/08 10:05 Mariah has stood up , all 5 eggs visible . No signs of pipping yet.
May 6th, 2008 at 3:10 PM
she seems to be vocalizing . Offering encouragement maybe ?
May 6th, 2008 at 4:23 PM
@ Froona- Stress from territorial disputes is a possible reason, but we don’t have proof that stress is causing the repeated failures. It may just be a fertility issue with Ranger or Hunter (or even both!).
May 7th, 2008 at 12:07 AM
Thats sad news. 🙁
May 7th, 2008 at 4:19 AM
I wonder how Ranger and Hunter are feeling about all this? i feel bad for them. I hope in the future everything works out for them.
May 7th, 2008 at 10:42 AM
I do not think that the Helsingborg female ever laid a single egg, they have only had fake eggs or chicken eggs in their scrape. They did successfully raise “adopted” eyases, but lately, according to the site, they even rejected the dummy eggs, so no baby peregrines this year. I doubt that the fact that they are siblings leads to infertility. It is not logical to me. Lots of siblings mate very successfully, including humans.
The fact that there are eggs at all in toronto points to some fertility on the part of the peregrine, but the fact that there are no hatches is what makes me suspect that the problem is with the tiercel.
I also doubt that Ranger and Hunter have any feelings about the situation in the sense that we have feelings. They just go on doing what they are supposed to do and if eggs do not happen or they disappear, their bird brains do not hold that memory for very long.
I am glad that no one is talking about forceably separating them to increase the chance of offspring from one or the other. Many years ago a “happy couple” was broken up, because one of the falcons was a hybrid and the authorities wanted only pure bred in the wild.
May 10th, 2008 at 3:04 AM
it is so cool to here about the 3 eyases that have already hatched hope the other 2 hatch
May 10th, 2008 at 4:45 PM
SORRY TO HEAR ABOUT RANGERS EGGS, IT SADDENS ME…HOPEFULLY SHE WILL FIND A SPOT THAT ONLY SHE CAN USE..I WILL BE KEEPING UP WITH YOUR NEWS..THANK YOU.
March 31st, 2009 at 3:40 AM
I heard that someone from the Canadian Peregrine Foundation floated the idea of giving Ranger and Hunter eyases to adopt. I’ve also heard that the CPF will “hack raise” young who are hatched in perillous locations (such as under a bridge over water sentencing fledglings to death if their first flight is not successful).
Instead of “hack-raising” these eyases, is not replacing eggs that are promised to fail with healthy young who would have otherwise died (without hack raising) with Ranger and Hunter be a possibility? It seems that they want to raise young!