The DNREC Division of Fish and wildlife works with volunteers and other partners to monitor and study Peregrine falcons.

Peregrine falcons are slowly recovering from a steep population decline that occurred between 1950 and 1970 due to the well-known (and now banned) insecticide DDT. The population of Peregrines in the eastern US declined so steeply that they were added to the Endangered Species List.

By 1999, Peregrines had recovered enough, due to the efforts of the Peregrine Fund to restore the population, and pesticide bans, that they were removed from the List.

Peregrine falcons in Delaware are still listed as a Tier 1 Species of Greatest Conservation Need, meaning that they are a high priority conservation species for the state.

State biologists are monitoring this falcon species to better understand the trends of the State’s breeding population.

About The Peregrine Falcon

Habitat

Peregrine falcons occur all over the world. In North America, these birds are often found near cliffs, coastlines and even in cities. They use the cliffs, skyscrapers and other ledge-like surfaces to nest.

Peregrines prefer open landscapes with plentiful prey. They are known to be the fastest bird in the world, reaching speeds up to 238 mph, making them excellent hunters.

Food

Peregrines primarily eat other birds – mostly shorebirds, pigeons, songbirds and other waterbirds.

Occasionally, they will also eat bats, fish, rodents, or even other birds of prey – depending on the situation.

Though these falcons often use their speed as an advantage and dive to get their prey, they have also been seen hunting flocks of birds which are less likely to all be able to escape.

Nesting

Peregrine falcons nest on ledges – typically cliffs and quarries, or skyscrapers, towers and other architecture that offer ledges and perches.

In some cases, they will use man-made nest boxes (like one installed in Wilmington, Delaware).

Peregrines do not build nests with sticks like many other bird species. Instead, they create a depression in the substrate (such as sand or gravel) to lay their eggs in.

Wilmington Falcon Fledge Watch

The Wilmington Falcon Fledge Watch is a volunteer organization that helps state biologists monitor young falcons fledged in a nest box installed on the 19^th floor of the Brandywine Building in Wilmington.

The nest box was installed in 1992 after multiple people reported sightings of Peregrine falcons in the city.

Over the years, nesting attempts were made at the nest box, but none successfully reported until 2002. Since then, various breeding pairs have fledged multiple chicks from the nest box each year.

Like all cities, Wilmington is a busy community full of people, cars and bikes. While the Peregrines don’t mind the loud environment that city life brings, the daily hustle and bustle can prove to be dangerous for small falcons learning to fly.

Therefore, each year when the young peregrines are ready to leave the nest box and learn to fly and hunt with the adult birds, a group of volunteers monitors their movements to ensure that they do not fall from the nest box, get stranded on the ground, or become injured.

The monitoring occurs daily from dawn until dusk on the roof of a nearby parking garage. Volunteers use binoculars and spotting scopes to watch the birds and report back to DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife staff on the status of these birds.

Though not often, occasionally these birds need to be rescued and placed back on the roof of the Brandywine Building or taken to Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research in Newark if injured.

Fledge Watch volunteers must be at least 18 years old and meet some basic training requirements.

Related Topics:  conservation, falcon, fish and wildlife, outdoors and recreation, peregrine, peregrine falcons, volunteer, wildlife, wildlife and fish