21 Might 2024
This morning two peregrine chicks have been banded on the College of Pittsburgh’s Cathedral of Studying by Patti Barber, Endangered Hen Biologist from the PA Recreation Fee (PGC).
As quickly as Patti started accumulating the chicks, the mother and father Carla and Ecco strafed the constructing to drive her away. Carla herself is banded however this was her first time experiencing it as a mom. She was fierce in defending her chicks.
Indoors, the chicks got well being checks (they’re very wholesome!), weighed to find out their intercourse, and given two leg bands: a black/inexperienced shade band that may be learn by way of binoculars and a silver USFW band.
Patti put coloured tape on the silver USFW bands so we are able to determine the birds by shade on the falconcam. The smaller chick is yellow, the bigger chick is blue.
Apparently the bigger of the 2 kids (blue) is clearly feminine, weighing in at over 1000g. The smaller fowl (yellow) weighed 730g, simply above the borderline that designates males as lower than 700g and females as extra.
Yellow was formally listed as “intercourse undetermined” however my guess is that he’s male. The Cathedral of Studying has seen a number of male peregrine chicks weighing 710-720g. (Dorothy’s in 2009, 2010 and Morela’s in 2022). We people gained’t know for certain if this fowl is male till we see him nest.
“Blue” calmly waited whereas all of us took images.
In lower than half an hour the chicks have been again on the nest and their lives returned to regular.
In the meantime we received a glimpse of the unhatched egg which Patti collected for testing.
The chicks will develop up quickly within the subsequent two weeks and depart the digicam view by the top of the month.
Keep tuned for the Fledge Watch schedule at Schnenley Plaza on the finish of this month and early June.
p.s. A Huge Thank You goes out to everybody who made this present day attainable. (Apologies to anybody I’ve missed on this checklist.)
- The College of Pittsburgh for being such an awesome peregrine landlord, for publicizing the peregrines, and for internet hosting the banding.
- The PA Recreation Fee for his or her dedication to banding the peregrine chicks on the Cathedral of Studying. (Peregrine banding in PA is uncommon these days as a result of the birds are not endangered / threatened.)
- The Nationwide Aviary for broadcasting the Pitt peregrines’ nest from their falconcam and for organizing the banding.
(picture credit are within the captions)
