Raptors in the City takes off again

If you like Peregrine Falcons, marvel at their recovery from the effects of DDT and want to see how they adapt to city life, then you'd enjoy keeping tabs on a PEFA nest in Cleveland, Ohio. Just sign up for the Falcon Flash newsletter sent via e-mail from Raptors in the City.


This year's first Falcon Flash appeared in my e-mail inbox this morning, and I'm delighted to catch up with Ranger, SW and her new mate Boomer. With photos and good details, I get to learn more about this really cool species. Plus, during my spare time (ha!), I can peek at the birds via the FalconCams on Terminal Tower and provided by Cleveland Museum of Natural History.

You really don't want to miss out on this interesting look at the Peregrine Falcon nesting cycle, and the website offers many resources that make birds more accessible to children. Please check it out!

Photo of Ranger, courtesy of Mr. & Mrs. Saladin/Raptors in the City

Falcon Flash begins again

March 1 brought the first Falcon Flash newsletter of the year, focusing on the Peregrine Falcons in Cleveland, Ohio. The newsletter is part of the Raptors in the City curriculum. Since 1991, the 12th floor of "Tower City" has hosted a nestbox, and for many years, SW (the female) and Buckeye (the male) raised and fledged young while being monitored in person and via webcam.

Today's newsletter unfortunately bore sad news:

It is with great sadness we report that Buckeye, the male peregrine falcon at this nestsite for the past 12 years, died on November 17, 2009, from injuries that appear to have been caused by a fatal head injury, probably due to collision with a building.


Buckeye was the father of 34 peregrine chicks. He made a wonderful contribution to the future of the species peregrine falcon, which has been recovering from near extinction in the U.S. since the 1970s.

Mr. Harvey Webster of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History suspects that Buckeye's fatal collision might have come during a battle with another male. Buckeye was getting up in years at age 14 and may have been challenged for SW's affections and control of valuable nesting territory. Peregrine falcons are fierce predators, and both males and females will battle to the death over nesting territory and mates.

A new male, identified as Ranger because of his leg bands, has courted SW, and observers say the falcons appear to have bonded. Because Ranger is young, having hatched in 2008, questions come up: Is he mature enough to be a father? Will he know how to hunt well enough to provide for his family?

We'll find out soon. You can sign up for Falcon Flash here.

New Peregrine chick in Cleveland

Today's Falcon Flash news bulletin from the Raptors in the City program shows the hatching of a Peregrine Falcon chick on the ledge of a Cleveland skyscraper. Welcome to the world!


You can see up-to-date images via the Falcon Cam. Thanks to Cleveland Museum of Natural History for sponsoring the camera.

"Raptors in the City" returns

My e-mail inbox received a Falcon Flash news bulletin earlier this yweek, which means "Raptors in the City" is back in action. A nestbox on the 12th floor of a skyscraper in Cleveland, Ohio, has attracted raptors since 1991.

The current pair of Peregrine Falcons, SW (female) and Buckeye, remained at the nestsite through winter. The FalconCam, sponsored by Cleveland Museum of Natural History, provides up-close and regular updates on the Peregrines' doings.

At the Raptors in the City website, you can sign up for the free Falcon Flash newsletters via e-mail and find a curriculum, available for purchase, for students ages 7 to 11.

Start your hawks!

Yes, raptor fans, it's almost time for fall migration! To find hawkwatch sites, click here.

Find one near you, and try to catch a few hours ogling birds of prey. Do you have a favorite hawkwatching site? Feel free to share details.

With that, I'll bid adieu for a week. My vacation location won't include online access, so this place'll be quiet until Sept. 4. Best wishes for a fabulous end to the summer!

Cleveland falcons have been busy

The two Peregrine Falcons that regularly nest on a Cleveland, Ohio, skyscraper returned last month. Now, it looks like SW, the female, is ready to lay eggs.

To subscribe to Falcon Flash e-mail updates about her and Buckeye's progress as parents, visit Raptors in the City.

You can see clips from the Falcon Cam, updated each minute, here.