Saving the places we care about

New Clutch of Peregrine Falcons to be Weighed and Measured in Pittsburgh;
Second Pair Nesting at University of Pittsburgh

For twelve years, a pair of peregrine falcons have successfully nested at Pittsburgh's Gulf Tower, and this year, for the first time here, some of this year's young will be fitted with satellite tracking transmitters, to follow the birds no matter where they fly.

The transmitter will be installed this month, when the three-week-old birds are "banded," or fitted with identification bracelets to help identify the birds for the rest of their lives, and are given a thorough medical examination. The eggs were hatched in mid-April.

Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, the Pennsylvania Game Commission and Gulf Tower building management have been collaborating for years to provide a safe nesting site for the falcon pair on the ledge of the 37th floor. The nest box, built by volunteers, is filled with round pea-size gravel that peregrines need to ensure their eggs do not roll off of the ledge. In the wild, falcons nest on cliffs, but in urban settings, they seek a private spot on a tall building. When a pair of this endangered species first took up nesting at the Gulf Tower in the winter of 1989-1990, it was the first nesting in western Pennsylvania in 40 years.

The Gulf Tower nest box was used for incubating this pair's five eggs, and it has provided shelter for 35 chicks in past years. The Gulf Tower is the first known urban nest site in Pennsylvania, since the decline of these birds of prey. By the 1960s, there were so few successful nesters that the species was in danger of extinction. The birds have made a remarkable recovery, thanks in part to the creation of urban nesting sites and to restriction on the use of certain pesticides, which impacted peregrine eggshells.

The raptors typically chase away other peregrines in their nesting territory, but this year, peregrine-watchers in Pittsburgh are following another pair, sufficiently far enough away from the Gulf Tower pair. This past winter, with financial aid from Pa. Game Commission, WPC staff and volunteers built a nest box, which University of Pittsburgh administrators allowed to be placed on campus, near the top of the famous Cathedral of Learning, in Oakland. A pair of falcons is seen routinely near the site, and although the nest box isn't visible to verify that eggs were laid, the pair is acting as if incubating eggs.

The Hands that Rock the Cradle
Stewardship of the peregrines at the Gulf Tower is a joint effort between WPC, the Game Commission and Gulf Tower Management. Continual monitoring occurs through the dedication of WPC volunteer Water Sadauskas, who visits the peregrine nest and reports what he observes. On Sunday March 10, at 7:50 a.m., Sadauskas walked up Grant Street, or what he likes to call Swoop Canyon, searching for peregrine falcons in the sky. On that day, no peregrines "swooped," but he was able to watch the birds via the live picture of the peregrine falcon nest, seen on a television monitor in the window at the LL Cool Beans coffee shop, which is at street level. On this day, Sadauskas wrote, "The male bird sits low on the nest for about four minutes. Various head movements and then he quickly pops his head up. Another seven minutes interspersed with drowsiness. Something holds his attention in the direction of the ledge. He lifts up from the nest. He is moving. Four eggs!!!" Later, the female laid a fifth egg.

The live pictures Sadauskas watched on a television through the coffee shop window are provided because of the generosity of Edgar Snyder and Associates. The camera is perched on the ledge and sends a live picture to the monitor, so that watchers can observe the peregrines without disturbing them. The law firm's generous donation to fund the falcon camera and their technical support enable Pittsburghers to share the excitement surrounding the hatch of the chicks without disturbing the birds. This same camera continually sends an image to www.paconserve.org, which is refreshed every two minutes, so that viewers all over the world can keep tabs on the birds' progress.

"Sharing the wonders of nature is a core part of our work," said Larry Schweiger, president and chief executive officer of Western Pennsylvania Conservancy. "The falcons allow urban residents an opportunity to connect with the wild."

Spreading their Wings
Within weeks after the banding, the chicks are on their own, and then will seek their own territory. A female offspring of the Gulf Tower pair, hatched in 1999, began nesting this spring on Cleveland's Terminal Building. She won the site after a fierce battle with the resident male's former mate. Other Pittsburgh young have been spotted in Burlington, Vermont and Detroit.

WPC and the PGC conduct an annual banding of the chicks to allow identification of the birds once they relocate. The bands also allow for identification should one of them be captured, seen at close range or found dead in the future. Banding is a research tool that helps track the health, physical measurements of different ages and sexes, longevity, migratory patterns and distances, wintering locations and habitats and sometimes even the mode of mortality.

This year, for the first time, young peregrines will be fitted with a satellite tracking transmitters, which will transmit to a satellite. The signal is then sent from the satellite to a base station, and scientists as well as the public will be able to receive information via the Internet throughout the year.

The mission of Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, a membership-based conservation organization, is to enrich the human relationship with the natural world by saving the places we care about. We do this by protecting natural lands, promoting healthy and attractive communities and preserving Fallingwater®, the masterpiece home built by Frank Lloyd Wright, in Mill Run, Pa.

Click here to go back the peregrine banding site.