The Providence Peregrine Cam

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.

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!
 

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).

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 #ProvidencePeregrines will take turns incubating the eggs.

Keep tuning in over the next few days to see her lay the others!