Frequently Asked Questions about Falcons
Click the question to see the answer.
Q: What are those odd bits of stuff on the ledge?
A. The larger, gray lump in the picture is a casting. Similar to an owl pellet, this is a mass of undigested feathers and bones that was regurgitated by one of the falcons.
The smaller, yellow pellets are kernels of corn. Orville consumed a bird in front of the camera and the corn undoubtedly came from the prey bird's crop.
Q: How many and what kinds of leg bands do peregrines get and what do the codes mean?
A: Peregrine falcons banded in North America typically receive 2 leg bands-one on each leg. The first band is a U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) band which contains a number unique to that individual falcon (similar to a Social Security number).
The numbers are small and hard to read unless you have the bird in hand. The color of this band can help identify the geographic region where the bird was banded. For example, USFWS bands used on Ohio falcons are purple. For birds that are hatched in the wild, the USFWS band is placed on the right leg.
On falcons that were part of a release program, the USFWS band is placed on the left leg.
A second band is placed on the leg opposite of the USFWS band. This band is usually one or two colors and may only have a few numbers and/or letters; these symbols are larger and repeated several times around the band.
This band is made to be read from a distance, usually using a spotting scope. The colors of this band also help identify the geographic region where the bird was banded and the symbols can be traced back to an individual bird.
For example, the current color combination of Ohio color bands are a black field on top of the band and a green field on the bottom of the band. This is commonly referred to as "black over green" and written as B/G.
Q: I saw a leg band referred to as *Y/5 but I didn't see where the "*" was on the band.
A: When a symbol appears sideways on a band, it is represented in writing by an asterisk (*). Therefore, on the band in the photo the Y is sideways and so is written as *Y/5.
This is done to increase the number of possible combinations of letters and numbers on these special color bands.
Thus, more falcons can be banded with a particular combination of color fields (like "black over green") before new colored bands are needed.
Q: Do the leg bands hurt the falcons or affect the way they hunt?
A: The bands placed on peregrine falcons are a very lightweight aluminum material and are specially sized to fit a falcon's leg. They do not hurt the bird in any way and are comparable to a human wearing a bracelet. The leg bands do not interfere with flight or grasping of prey.
Q: Why are Peregrine falcons endangered?
A: During the mid-1900's a chemical pesticide called DDT was widely used to prevent insect damage to crops. DDT worked its way up the food chain when poisoned insects were eaten by smaller birds that were then eaten by larger birds including Peregrine falcons.
The DDT built up in the fat tissues of the falcons. This caused the falcon eggshells to be so thin that they would break when the adults would try to incubate them. This resulted in few new falcons being added to the population. Consequently, the population disappeared east of the Mississippi by 1965.
Success of the Eastern Peregrine Recovery Plan in recent years has helped restore populations of the Peregrine falcon.
Q: What does a Peregrine falcon look like?
A: The adult Peregrine is a crow-sized bird with a 36 to 44 inch wingspan. It has a dark head with a wide dark mustache mark, white throat, blue-gray back and pale breast cross-barred with dark brown.
Young birds have darker, brownish plumage. Their breast is marked with vertical brown streaking.
Learn how to Identify a Peregrine Falcon
Q: I saw a Peregrine at my bird feeder in my backyard! Is that possible?
A: Probably not. While Peregrines can be observed in many areas during migration, they aren't common visitors to backyards.
Cooper's hawks, sharp-shinned hawks and American kestrels all eat birds and are somewhat similar in appearance to Peregrines and can routinely be observed in residential areas.
Q: Where else, besides Ohio are Peregrines found?
A: Peregrine falcons are found on all continents except Antarctica. There are 17 subspecies, but only 3 are found in North America.
Q: How can I help the Peregrines?
Q: How fast do Peregrine falcons fly?
A: In level flight, Peregrines can fly about 60 mph. However, they are best known for their dives at prey (also called a ëstoopí) during which they have been clocked at over 200 mph!
Q: Where else, besides Ohio are Peregrines found?
A: Peregrine falcons are found on all continents except Antarctica. There are 17 subspecies, but only 3 are found in North America.
Q: How do Peregrines sound?
Q: How long do Peregrine falcons live?
A: Peregrines may live to be 12 to 15 years old. However, the mortality rate for young falcons is about 60%.
This means that approximately 6 of every 10 falcons hatched will die in its first year of life.
Q: Why do Peregrine falcons nest on buildings?
A: Peregrines typically nest on ledges of rock cliffs. However, falcons have been able to adapt to use tall buildings. If you think about it, a city skyscraper is tall and constructed of concrete or stone, just like a rock cliff. Window boxes and other niches on buildings provide a place for a female to lay eggs. Man-made nest boxes and trays lined with pea gravel are also used by falcons.
Q: What kind of nest do Peregrine falcons make?
A: Peregrine falcons do not bring nesting material to an area to build a nest. Instead, they make what is called a "scrape" or shallow depression in existing gravel or other debris by lying down and pushing back with a foot.
Q: How many young do Peregrines have?
A: The female Peregrine usually lays 3 or 4 eggs. The eggs are slightly smaller than a chicken egg, and are mottled with a dark, reddish-brown pigment.
The female does most of the incubating which takes about 33 days.
The male incubates the eggs while the female flies off to feed.
The newly hatched "eyases" weigh about 2 ounces and are covered with fluffy white down feathers.
Q: What do Peregrine falcons eat? How do they get their food?
A: Peregrines eat birds and other things that fly. In Ohio we know falcons prey on mourning doves, starlings, pigeons, woodpeckers, red-winged blackbirds, yellow-billed cuckoos, cedar waxwings, meadowlarks, chimney swifts, woodcock, and even a big brown bat!
A Peregrine will typically fly above its prey, then fold its wings and dive or "stoop" at the other bird and strike it with a half-closed foot.
The falcon then retrieves the stunned or dead bird in mid-air. Peregrines are also swift fliers that can simply fly up behind their prey and grab it in mid-flight.
Q: How much does a Peregrine falcon eat in a day?
A: An adult Peregrine will eat about 70 grams of food per day. This is equal to about two blackbirds.
Q: Where do the young Peregrines go after they leave the nest?
A: After fledging, young falcons are dependent on the adult birds for up to four weeks. As they gradually become independent, they eventually leave the area where they were raised.
If they are lucky enough to survive their first year of life, they may claim a new nesting territory, or replace a lost mate of an existing pair.
Peregrines hatched in Ohio have been observed in many locations including Canada, New York, West Virginia, Michigan, Indiana, Texas and Alabama.
Q: Do Peregrine falcons migrate?
A: Yes and no. Some falcons do migrate and some do not. Peregrines in the more northern climates (Alaska and Greenland) are more likely to migrate during the winter to places that have a milder climate, such as the southern United States, Central and South America.
Some falcons in the midwest do not migrate because the winters are not too severe and the food source or prey base remains adequate.
Peregrine actually means wanderer in Latin.
Q: Do Peregrine falcons have any predators?
A: In remote areas, great horned owls, martens and some snakes prey on young falcons still in the nest. However, in urban areas Peregrines have few predators.
Q: Do Peregrine falcons mate for life?
A: Peregrines generally do keep the same mate from year to year.
However, if a member of the pair dies, the surviving falcon will accept a replacement mate sometimes as soon as a week after its mate died.
Q: How many Peregrine falcons are in Ohio?
A: Ohio's population of Peregrine falcons is counted in terms of nesting pairs. Each spring, a pair of Peregrine falcons usually nests in every major metropolitan area of Ohio including Toledo, Akron, Columbus, Dayton, and Cincinnati.
Cleveland hosts several nesting pairs. In addition, there are also some sites where only a single falcon has been observed, likely attempting to set up a nesting territory.
There are also any number of other Peregrines that are unmated and will replace a bird when a member of an established pair dies as well as numerous falcons that pass through Ohio during migration.
See Ohio’s Falcon Nesting Sites
Q: How does the Ohio Division of Wildlife manage Peregrine falcons?
A: Currently, the Ohio Division of Wildlife monitors Peregrines as they occur in our state. This includes erecting nest boxes and/or trays to provide a secure site that falcons can nest in and be observed easily.
Nesting pairs are watched closely and the onset of egg laying, incubation and hatching of eggs is recorded.
Young falcons are equipped with metal leg bands at 3 weeks of age for future identification; a blood sample is taken in case there is a need to check for chemical contamination and/or to track DNA.
Fledglings are observed until they are able to fly.
Q: When and why were Peregrine falcons released in Ohio?
A: Ohio's Division of Wildlife, like that of many Midwestern states, participated in a hacking project from 1989-1992.
Hacking is the process by which young falcons raised in captivity are slowly released to the wild to help restore the Peregrine falcon populations in the Midwest.
The hacked birds were not expected to return to the cities where they were released, but it was hoped that some would survive to nest throughout the Midwest.
Q: How long have we had Peregrines in Columbus?
A: Columbus first hosted a nesting pair of Peregrines in 1993. "Aurora" and "Bandit" raised a total of 19 young in five years of nesting (1994 through 1998).
The nest box at the Rhodes State Office Tower continues to attract nesting falcons.
Q: Do Peregrine falcons control pigeon populations?
A: Peregrine falcon restoration projects have been implemented to help conserve an endangered species not control pigeon populations!
While Peregrines do eat pigeons in urban areas, they also eat many other species of birds, including doves, blackbirds, ducks, starlings and jays.
