The Providence Peregrine Live Stream

Watch the 2021 Nesting Season Recap!

Updates from the Nest Box

April 2, 2021
The Providence Peregrine Falcons are back and there is one egg in the nest as of April 1st!

This year's pair is unbanded for the fourth year in a row - so it is impossible to confirm whether or not it is the same pair from last year. However, the adult Peregrine Falcons that utilize this nestbox usually have enough year-round food in their territory, allowing them to stay here instead of migrating south each winter. This makes it likely that the 2021 pair are the same birds as last year.

The first mating attempt on March 19th was seemingly unsuccessful. A second attempt this week resulted in the first egg, which was laid yesterday, April 1, 2021! Tune in today and into the weekend because more eggs may be on the way!

April 3, 2021
A second egg has been laid. Can you catch a glimpse today? Each egg weighs around 52g and it can take around 48 hours to produce each one!

April 5, 2021
A third egg was laid in the morning! Can you tell who is incubating at any given time? Female Peregrine Falcons are larger than males. The female does most of the incubating but they do switch off when she needs to feed!

April 7, 2021
A fourth egg was laid this afternoon! The Peregrine Falcons will take turns incubating the eggs and hunting for food to support each other - but typically most of the brooding will be done by the female. The incubation period lasts around 30-35 days. To predict a hatch date window, we count 30–35 days from when the second-to-last egg was laid (this is usually when incubation fully begins.)

May 5, 2021
The Providence Peregrine's eggs should be hatching at any time! Mom seems restless - is today hatch day for the Providence Peregrines? In this video, the female Peregrine Falcon can be seen eating rocks! Peregrines, like all birds, need some grit in their diet to help them digest their meals. She may be ingesting some pebbles from their "scrape" (gravel nest), or she might just be rearranging the gravel while she awaits hatch day!

May 8; 9:30 am
HAPPY HATCH DAY! The first Providence Peregrine began hatching early this morning and was fully emerged from its eggshell by approximately 10 am. Keep tuning in as the other three eggs will hatch throughout the weekend!

Look closely when the adult lifts their body up - can you see "pipping" holes in the remaining eggs? Pipping is what occurs when an egg is ready to hatch and the eyas first uses its beak to punch a small hole in the egg to allow it to breathe air.

May 8; 10:25 am
The second egg has hatched! Mom can be seen eating the eggshells for the rich source of calcium. For 1-2 weeks after hatching, the chicks are brooded almost constantly, usually by the female while the male hunts for food to feed the family. The female and male will switch places occasionally too! After this period, both adults will leave the nestbox in order to hunt enough food to feed the quickly growing eyases.

May 9; 8:20 am
Happy Mother’s Day to all the hardworking moms - including mama Peregrine! The third eyas hatched this morning. Egg hatching is a strenuous activity that consists mostly of resting time. It is also the first survival test of each bird's life, thus the chicks do not receive any assistance from their parents. Although only three of the four eggs have hatched so far, the parents are already working around the clock to provide enough food for the eyases. They will double in weight in the first week alone!

May 10; 5:30 pm
One of the four eggs in this year's brood still has yet to hatch. You can see the fourth egg during a feeding session this afternoon in this video, along with the three eyases. The hatching of the fourth egg is still very possible - but the hatch window will close in the coming days.

May 11; 8:40 am
The fourth egg has hatched this morning! Brooding will continue for about another week. The eyases will fledge (leave the nest) around 38-45 days after hatching; timing depends on age, sex and physical condition of each chick.

May 12; 11:45 am
Did the fourth egg actually hatch?! Yes! What you are seeing in the nestbox is the eggshell from the fourth and youngest eyas' hatch yesterday. Compared to the youngest, the first and second eyases to hatch are three days older and the third eyas is two days older. Developmentally speaking, a couple of days is a long time for the young falcons! The youngest eyas is not only still regaining its strength from hatching out of its egg - but is a bit smaller than the others due to its age. If you look extremely carefully, you will indeed see the fourth eyas - and now that it is over a day old, you may begin to see it more readily!

May 13; 2:00 pm
It looks like a gosling was "on the menu" today - click here for the video highlight. It was quite a catch! Peregrine Falcons will cache food that they do not finish in one feeding session - especially when there are nestlings to feed. They do so away from their nesting site ("eyrie") in order to not attract predators. Prey is often transferred from male to female near the nestbox, and then the female returns with the catch to feed the young. You'll notice that the fourth eyas to hatch is now much stronger today!

May 20
All is well at the nest. The parents spend much time hunting for their hungry young, plus themselves. Although you don't see a parent in the nest box, rest assured they are only seconds away if any predator approaches. After all, they are the fastest creature on the planet.

May 27; 8:00 am
Banding Day
Sometime around 9:45am-10am we will begin the process of banding the young falcons. A board will be placed across the front of the nesting box to protect the falcons. Joe Zbyrowski, our bander, will remove the back opening of the box and remove the falcons. The birds will be measured and the sex determined and then two bands will be placed on one leg of each bird. The bird's legs have stopped growing so the bands will never constrict their legs. The bands will help scientists identify where the birds were hatched, the year, and if they are male or female. The birds will then be placed back in the box, the front board removed and the process will be over. It takes a little over an hour to band four birds.

May 27; 3:00 pm
Banding Day
We have been banding the peregrine falcons in Providence since their re-introduction to Providence in 2000. Peregrine Falcons are a recovering species, nearly extinct in the United States. Peregrine falcons fell prey to the effects of DDT. Banding data provides critical information on the health of the falcon population. We provide our data to the Bird Banding Laboratory, part of the US Geological Survey. This morning we banded four male falcons. The parents will continue to care for the birds until they fledge … probably in the next two weeks. As the birds grow, the adults spend more and more time out of the nest hunting, as they need to provide food for four young as well as themselves.

June 3
In their fourth week of life, the eyases undergo significant changes almost daily, making the age differences between the first and last to hatch in this brood clearly visible. The secondary (wing) feathers develop brown tips and the number of feathers visible on the breast increases noticeably as well. The area of feathers on their face expands in size each day. Within just a couple days during this period, the eyases will go from regularly resting on their tarsi (lower leg) to being able to stand and walk on their feet exclusively. Soon enough, all four chicks will be regularly opening their wings and running about the nest box!

June 9
Woah! Easy does it! The #ProvidencePeregrines’ first flight day is fast approaching. By this time next week, we may have a couple of new fledglings in Providence! In this video you see the oldest eyas testing his wings on the breeze with hardly any down feathers left on his body. He was even seen today stepping onto the bar/edge of the nestbox. They will all begin doing this more throughout the week as they get eager to fly. They will also begin exploring the ledge around the nestbox too. The younger ones still have some tufts of down feathers, especially on their legs (white pants, anyone?!) The eyases will remain dependent on their parents for good meals even after their first flights, until they can consistently hunt. But, in the coming week, feeding times may get a little more sparse, and then stop altogether, as the parents encourage their young to take flight and begin hunting behavior. Don't miss flight day: keep tuning in!

June 11
They grow up so fast! Check out this video of the three oldest birds stepping up onto the ledge of the nestbox. The first eyas to hatch is now 35 days old. Sometimes, albeit rarely, the nestlings will take their first flight at this age. He (and the others) certainly do seem eager! Typically though, they will wait a few more days as they continue to build up strength. This weekend, they may start exploring the ledge area of the building. Keep watching; we’ll soon have fledglings!

June 12
This morning, the first and second nestlings left the nestbox! It looks like the first and third hatchlings were the ones to venture off first. At 9:40 am, all four were briefly back in the viewing frame, so it's safe to say that, although these two are now considered "fledglings", they hadn't yet taken their first flights at the time this was written. We zoomed the camera out a bit so the roof is now largely visible for you to see, but many times they hang out behind the nestbox out of view.

Fledging is a very dangerous time. Luckily, because the nestbox is so high up, the falcons to fledge from this spot are able to easily glide from this roof to the many lower roofs of buildings below them. Once they leave the roof, it can take a couple of days to build enough flight coordination and strength to get back to this height.

The parents may stop feeding the nestlings in the next couple of days to encourage them to take their first flights.

VIDEO HIGHLIGHT: A bumblebee visited the Peregrine Falcon nestbox on "fledging day". The curious nestlings watch it buzz around with precision. Watch it here!

June 13
One of the fledglings seemingly "lost his footing" while on the ledge around 4:30 pm. We have not had any sightings of him on the ground or elsewhere but we are hopeful that he managed to easily glide to another rooftop close by, or on a lower ledge of this building. Fledglings don't "fall" - they are fully developed at this point! So, even though it may have been a bit early for him - he is meant to fly! We'll keep you updated if there is confirmation of his status - but note this will be close to impossible without seeing all four fledglings at the same time. The parents are great at tracking their young and will continue to feed ALL the fledglings until they can do so on their own.

June 14; 10:15 am
The third eyas has fledged and is currently on the building's roof area! The remaining nestling is looking on at his fledgling brothers with seemingly great interest (calling and lots of eager wing flapping.)

A few viewers have expressed concern over the falcon on the lower ledge. He most likely is not yet confident enough in jumping up and down between the ledges. He'll quickly gain the strength and confidence to so - this is all part of the learning and growing process! As we've stated in previous updates, it is not uncommon for parents to withhold food at this point, as a way to encourage their development.

Our best guess on why he "likes" this lower ledge so much? This spot might provide a sense of safety, rather than being completely out in the open. The small wall that makes up the higher ledge makes for one less direction a predator may approach from. Speaking of predators, Peregrine Falcons do have a few, such as eagles, Great Horned Owls, and other Peregrines.

June 15; 10:30 am
The fourth eyas fledged this morning around 6:30 am (thanks to a viewer for the screenshot!)

Their first flights will happen at any time. You will notice that the fledglings spend a lot of time flapping their wings - this is both to strengthen their muscles and get acclimated to the breezy air beneath their wings. At this point, the fledglings are fully developed - besides a few remaining down feathers.

The next notable change in appearance will happen when they are a year old and their adult plumage replaces their juvenile plumage through a process called "moulting". From All About Birds: "Adults are blue-gray above with barred underparts and a dark head with thick sideburns. Juveniles are heavily marked, with vertical streaks instead of horizontal bars on the breast. Despite considerable age-related and geographic variation, an overall steely, barred look remains.

June 15; 3:40 pm
A fledgling took their first flight today around 3:30 pm!

Even after their young take their first flights, the parents will continue to provide prey and flight lessons for the next couple weeks. Once a bird leaves a nest, they typically will not return as nests are just nurseries, not "homes". 

Viewer Question: How do the parent peregrines locate their fledglings once they take flight?
Answer: The juveniles stay in the family's territory while they are still learning, so they are never far. The parents will use the same incredible skills they possess for hunting purposes to keep track of their young - their keen eyesight and hearing.

Want to watch the "flying lessons" that will take place this month? You can visit them yourself: the Providence Place Mall is close by, making it a great place to park (it's free for the first two hours.) Don't forget your binoculars!

June 16; 1:45 pm
Just one fledgling remains in view of the webcam. Keep watching so you don't miss his first flight! Once the final fledgling takes off, they won't return and we will end the live stream for the 2021 season. Rember to use use the form below these updates to report any sightings, send in screenshots, etc.!

June 16; 2:30 pm
"One Peregrine Falcon fledgling was visible from the street this morning" shared Peter Green, of Providence Raptors. Peter is our "eyes" in downtown Providence, once the fledglings take off. Follow his page, Providence Raptors, on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for more great shots and updates on the Providence Peregrines (and more!)

June 16; 4:00 pm
Another note on the fourth fledgling - 

We can't confirm his status because:

1) The bird may not have been quite ready to fly and therefore has simply been out of sight, hanging out on another rooftop. At this age he is fully developed and would easily manage to glide (instead of "falling".) "They don’t drop straight down like heavy stones, they are very light and open their wings and glide to safety," says Peter Green of Providence Raptors.

2) Even once the fledglings begin flying around the city with their parents, "there are never six flying all at once so it’s not possible to know if all four [fledglings] are doing ok, but let’s assume they are," continued Peter Green. Once they leave the camera's view, it is impossible to know the exact status of each one at any given time, unless we get an unlikely report of all six birds spotted at once.

Avid viewers/birdwatchers in downtown Providence, are our eyes on the juveniles once they leave the building. We will absolutely post any confirmation here on the website - if we are able to make one! 

June 17
The fourth fledgling has taken flight! Viewers watched three fledglings gather again on the rooftop this morning (image sent in by a viewer - thank you!) Although the fledglings may briefly return to this familiar spot, they will do so less and less over the next couple of days as they explore more of their parents' territory. The nestbox (and birds' nests in general) are strictly nurseries.

It's always bittersweet to watch them go! We will be shutting the camera off for the season in the next day or two. Thank you to everyone who tuned in for the 2021 season, sent in their observations and pictures, donated in support of the live stream, and shared this live stream with friends and family! Your support, in all forms, is greatly appreciated.

If you haven't done so already, sign up for Audubon's emails so you won't miss the official 2022 Providence Peregrine nesting season announcement and consider making a donation to bring back the live stream next year!

We will continue to post any updates or sightings here as the juveniles practice their flight skills and learn how to hunt through the month of July. In early August, the parents will encourage their young to move out and find their own territory. Peregrine Falcons are a migratory species and have been recorded to migrate up to about 8,000 miles. Many birds will stay in their urban territory year-round though, due to the abundance of food in these locations (namely pigeons.)

June 21; 12:45 pm
Viewers have enjoyed seeing a fledgling returning to that lower ledge to sleep the past few evenings. Even though it is common for fledglings not to return to their nesting spots - simply because there are so many other spots around the city where they could "hang out", and of course, because the nestbox itself is no longer needed - it is not out of the question! This little one does seem to enjoy this spot - there's nothing unusual about that!

A note from Paige: I will be disabling the submission form today to focus on summer Audubon projects - thanks for your understanding! I have thoroughly enjoyed providing updates, answering your fantastic questions, receiving your screenshots of nest activity, and getting to know our viewers a bit. Thank you for your enthusiasm and support. Let's do it again next year! - Paige Therien, Audubon Development and Communications Associate

Updates from the Nest Box

March 17, 2020
A great cure for cabin fever and better than Netflix: the Providence Peregrine Falcons are back!

Over the past week, courtship behavior between the two birds - such as bowing towards each other and flying together - has been seen. Yesterday, they were spotted mating, so eggs are on the way!

The birds look to be the same unbanded pair from last year. As the female gets closer to her egg-laying date, you will see her in the nestbox more frequently. For now, you can see them on camera when they return to stake their territory.

As we find ourselves socially distancing ourselves in order to maintain the health of our community, we hope you'll find joy and wonder once again in watching the Providence Peregrine Falcons live-stream.

Please share widely and if you see something interesting happen on-screen, we'd love to hear about it!

March 20, 2020
The female Peregrine Falcon laid the first egg sometime today, March 20th! While viewing the camera, look for a rust-colored spot. She will lay a total 3-4 eggs over a 2-3 day period. Round-the-clock incubation does not begin until the last or penultimate egg is laid. This allows the the entire clutch to hatch around the same time, roughly 30 days later. Both male and female Providence Peregrines will take turns incubating the eggs. Keep tuning in over the next few days to see her lay the others!

March 22, 2020
There are now two eggs in the nest!

March 24, 2020
Three eggs in the nest as of 6 PM!

March 29, 2020
A fourth egg was laid around 11:30 am!

March 30, 2020
Incubation has fully begun! The Peregrine Falcons will take turns incubating the eggs and hunting for food to support each other. Eggs can be expected to hatch anytime in the last week of April/first week of May!

April 30, 2020
Overnight or sometime in the early morning, the first Peregrine Falcon egg hatched! Stay tuned throughout the day as the others follow.
Watch the highlight: https://youtu.be/OCb5PMpWcaQ

May 1, 2020
The second egg has hatched sometime overnight.
Watch the highlight: https://youtu.be/RLVpSXch1fA

May 2, 2020
A third Peregrine Falcon has hatched.
Watch the highlight: https://youtu.be/azKL_5Z1GJY

May 3, 2020
All four eggs have hatched!
Watch the highlight: https://youtu.be/uG57xKoqdPo

May 18, 2020
What can you expect to see as a viewer on banding day? First, bander Joe Zbyrowski will approach the nestbox from the back on a ladder. He will place a board in the front of the nestbox so the chicks don't run out and over the ledge when retrieving them. He will then open the back door, take the eyases out, and place them in a basket. The eyases will be lowered to the landing about 10 feet below. During the whole process, the parent falcons will be exhibiting territorial behavior. You will see orange brooms waving in the background - these are by no means intended to hit the parents. Rather, they deter the parents from attempting to dive-bomb the humans. Once the eyases have been banded and their sex determined, they will be promptly returned to the nest box.

Watch our Party for the Peregrines+ Night 3 replay to learn more about Peregrine Falcon banding from Master bander Joe Zbyrowski: https://youtu.be/vTX-EIcxUs8 (begins at the 20:10 timestamp).

May 21, 2020
FAQ: Where are the parent Peregrine Falcons?!

At this stage, it is completely normal for the parents of the eyases (chicks) to be absent from the nestbox. They are now spending most of their time hunting to feed their growing family, or resting, and they will only return to feed their young.

The eyases are brooded almost continuously for only around the first 10 days of life. After this point, they are able to regulate their body temperature themselves. Plus, it becomes pretty uncomfortable for the parent(s) to remain in the nest box at all times due to the increasing size of the eyases!

Contrary to what is commonly portrayed in cartoons, nests strictly provide a place for laying eggs and raising young until they fledge during breeding season. Fledglings, juveniles and adult birds do no sleep in nests and many birds do not necessarily have a particular spot they return to each time they need to rest, and the Peregrines are no different. They will perch and rest anywhere they please within their territory.

Keep watching and hopefully you will be tuned-in at just the right time to see the adults return to feed their young!

May 22, 2020
BANDING DAY - Watch the recap on YouTube: https://youtu.be/tZA1WHBMcGc!

Today, we successfully banded and determined the sex of the four eyases: two females and two males! When the chicks are around three weeks old, their legs have stopped growing. This is the perfect time to band the birds because it ensures they will not grow out of their bands, and they are still very docile and easy to handle. Leg size is also the determining factor of the sex of the bird. Females are substantially larger than males - the bigger the leg, the bigger the bird.

Lisa Gould and Loree Kallienen were able to experience the falcon banding this year after winning the experience through the Party for the Peregrines+ online fundraiser Golden Ticket Raffle last week. Thank you to everyone who bought a raffle ticket and participated in the online auction, Joe Zbyrowski for banding this year's brood and Peter Green of Providence Raptors for taking photos and video!

Watch our Party for the Peregrines+ Night 3 replay to learn more about Peregrine Falcon banding from Master bander Joe Zbyrowski: https://youtu.be/vTX-EIcxUs8 (begins at the 20:10 timestamp).

How many and what kinds of leg bands do peregrines get and what do the codes mean?
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. A second band is placed on the leg opposite of the USFWS band. This band is usually one or two colors and may have a few numbers and/or letters. This is done to increase the number of possible combinations of letters and numbers on these special color bands. These are made to be read from a distance, usually using a camera or spotting scope.

Bird banding allows scientists to track the life history, migration and reproductive behavior of bird individuals and overall populations. The data that bird banding provides is increasing valuable as we aim to better understand the climate and biodiversity crises.

Do the leg bands hurt the falcons or affect the way they hunt?
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.

May 27, 2020
At almost a month old, these chicks are right where they need to be developmentally. Their body contours and back feathers are beginning to take shape. Although they still rest on their tarsi (lower leg) quite often, they have begun walking on their feet!

June 8, 2020
The first Providence Peregrine Falcon fledgling left the nest box at 5:37 AM and has begun exploring the ledge and roof of the surrounding area! A fledgling is a bird with wing feathers developed enough for flight. The other fledglings, one by one, will follow closely behind. They'll begin taking flight within a couple days of leaving the nest box, after they have a chance to really stretch and strengthen their wing muscles.

WATCH: The first fledgling explores the area outside the nest box: https://youtu.be/GAq-ZezGQbY

What happens next? Once the fledglings take their first flights, you may be able to spot them on the live webcam stream for a couple weeks; they don't venture too far, and they may still associate the nest box area with food. The fledglings will be dependent on their parents for food for another 4-6 weeks. During this time, they will first get more comfortable flying and then they will attempt to hunt, mostly unsuccessfully at first.

June 8, 2020
At 8:45 pm, within 24 hours of leaving the nest box, the first Providence Peregrine Falcon fledgling took his first flight! While the actual flight itself wasn't captured on video due to the camera angle, viewers are able to see the falcon hop onto a lower ledge and then ultimately leave the building.

WATCH the highlight: https://youtu.be/ixooAdIGO0w

The first flights are never graceful, and are sometimes unsuccessful. Luckily, he was spotted on a nearby building the next morning by Peter Green of Providence Raptors. Here is a link to the photos confirming the fledgling's successful first flight.

June 10, 2020
The second Providence Peregrine Falcon fledgling left the nest box at 6:22 AM and has begun exploring the ledge and roof of the surrounding area!

WATCH the highlight: https://youtu.be/qN69M_CCLnE

June 10, 2020
The third Providence Peregrine Falcon fledgling left the nest box at 4:13 PM and has begun exploring the ledge and roof of the surrounding area!

WATCH the highlight: https://youtu.be/PRaQNAhBGtQ

June 11, 2020
The fourth and final Providence Peregrine Falcon fledgling has left the nest box at 7:09 AM and has begun exploring the ledge and roof of the surrounding area!

WATCH the highlight: https://youtu.be/BhU7YrOD-F0

June 11, 2020
Two out of four fledglings have taken their "first flights": the second Peregrine Falcon fledgling glided off of 111 Westminster and safely landed on a rooftop by the Arcade.

June 14, 2020
The final two Falcons took flight sometime over the weekend. Good luck to the newest Providence Peregrine Falcons as they learn to fly and hunt! Thank you to all who watch the 2020 Providence Peregrine nesting season unfold. Each year is exciting, but with social distancing practices in place due to Covid-19, the glimpse into these birds' lives was just that much more special.

Updates from the Nest Box

March 19, 2019
A new, high quality camera and better streaming capabilities are on their way to the Superman Building, thanks to our generous donors and DaneTech, Inc. We hope to be back online this week!

Today’s journey to the nest box revealed an unbanded pair ready to mate. It looks like the same female as last year; the indicator is a few missing feathers on her left wing! She may have sustained permanent (but minor) damage in the mating battle which took place last season, prohibiting a couple feathers to regrow. It does not effect her flight.

April 2, 2019
Heading up! Today we are replacing the Providence Peregrine Webcam and getting a new streaming service online. We apologize for the delay.
Thank you Danetech, Inc. for your time and support through this process! Visit their website: http://www.danetechinc.com

April 3, 2019
Thanks to our generous donors, we were able to install a new webcam yesterday. We are still working to get the video stream online. Thank you for your patience!

April 17, 2019
The webcam is streaming live as of this morning! We are aware that some viewers are experiencing problems viewing the feed and we are investigating the issue.

As you may be able to see, there are four eggs, the final of which was laid around April 2nd! Incubation lasts around 32 days from the date of the first egg laid (unknown). This puts the hatch date at around May 3rd or sooner. It appears to be the same unbanded adult pair as last year. The female is permanently missing a few feathers on her left wing, and the male is currently missing the tip of his beak (it will grow back slowly).

May 5, 2019
Happy Hatch Day! The Providence Peregrine clutch has begun to hatch! Tune in and watch as the eyases emerge. If you are having trouble viewing you can try our live stream on Youtube

The first chick started hatching up to three days ago! Egg hatching is a strenuous activity that consists mostly of resting time. It is also the first survival test of each bird's life, thus the chicks do not receive any assistance from their parents.

May 7, 2019
Scenes from the first day of life, 30 floors above the city of Providence! Although only two eggs have hatched so far, the parents are already working around the clock to provide enough food for the eyases. They will double in weight in the first week alone!

Screenshots captured by Jo-Ann Therien. Share yours by tagging us on Facebook (@AudubonRI) or Twitter and Instagram (@RIAudubon)!

May 22, 2019
BANDING DAY
Today, we successfully banded and determined the sex of both eyases: both are male. At this point, when the chicks are around two weeks old, their legs have stopped growing. This is the perfect time to band the birds because it ensures they will not grow out of their bands, and they are still very docile and easy to handle. Leg size is also the determining factor of the sex of the bird. Females are substantially larger than males - the bigger the leg, the bigger the bird.

Kathy and Gurdon Wattles, George Kortyna and his son Ian were able to experience the falcon banding this year after placing winning bids on the experience at our Party for the Peregrine fundraiser on May 10th. Thank you, Joe Zybrowski for banding this year's brood and Peter Green of Providence Raptors for taking photos!

How many and what kinds of leg bands do peregrines get and what do the codes mean?
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. A second band is placed on the leg opposite of the USFWS band. This band is usually one or two colors and may have a few numbers and/or letters. This is done to increase the number of possible combinations of letters and numbers on these special color bands. These are made to be read from a distance, usually using a camera or spotting scope.

Bird banding allows scientists to track the life history, migration and reproductive behavior of bird individuals and overall populations. The data that bird banding provides is increasing valuable as we aim to better understand the climate and biodiversity crises.

Do the leg bands hurt the falcons or affect the way they hunt?
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.

May 30, 2019
At 25 days old, these chicks are right where they need to be developmentally. Their body contours and back feathers are beginning to take shape. Although they still rest on their tarsi (lower leg) quite often, they have begun walking on their feet!

June 16, 2019
The first nestling has fledged early this morning! The second will be close behind, mostly likely fledging today or tomorrow.

June 17, 2019
Both Peregrine Falcon chicks have fledged as of this morning. Although they will not return to the nest box at all once they have fledged, you may be able to spot them on the live webcam stream for a couple days since they don't venture far. The fledglings will be dependent on their parents for food for another 4-6 weeks. During this time, they will first get more comfortable flying and then they will attempt to hunt, mostly unsuccessfully! Good luck to the newest Providence Peregrines!