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PEREGRINE FALCON CHICKS HATCHING IN NESTS STATEWIDE Banding will begin May 15 COLUMBUS, OH - Six peregrine falcon nest sites across Ohio have
produced at least 15 young this spring and wildlife biologists anticipate
the remaining six nests to hatch their chicks by the end of May, according
to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife.
Nests at Cleveland's Terminal Tower, the Cleveland Clinic and one
near Akron, each have three young; nests at Ironton, Dayton, and the Village
of Cleves (near Cincinnati) each have two young birds. There are at least
two young in the Ironton Bridge nest but a final count won't be possible
until biologists visit the site for banding on Friday.
Incubation continues at a nest along the Ohio River in Brown County,
at sites in Lakewood and Toledo, as well as at the Bohn Building, the I-90
bridge and the LTV Steel sites in Cleveland. The nest along the Ohio River
in Brown County is a second attempt, and both birds appear to be from nearby
Kentucky. Their identities have not yet been confirmed.
Ohio's capital city peregrines in Columbus will likely be without a
successful nest for the second year in a row. The pair is again occupying
the site atop the Rhodes State Office Tower, but no eggs have been produced.
Wildlife biologists say the female - tentatively identified as Victory, a
Toledo bird hatched and banded in 2002 - is most likely not mature enough to
reproduce; the male, Bandit, has been at this site since 1993.
The first banding of the season is scheduled for May 15 in Cleveland
at both the Terminal Tower and Cleveland Clinic nests. Banding at the
Ironton nest is scheduled for May 16, and on May 19 for the Dayton and
Cleves nests. During banding, each chick is given federal and state
identifying bands, blood is drawn, and the birds' health is evaluated.
Internet users can view peregrine nesting around the state by
accessing the ODNR website at ohiodnr.com An icon on the front page will
take visitors to the Columbus site and provide links to other Ohio nests.
Ohio's first urban peregrine nest was in Toledo, at the site of the
old Commodore Perry Inn. The success of urban nests in Ohio and other
states, coupled with resurgence of peregrine nests and numbers in more
traditional habitats, allowed the U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service to remove
the peregrine falcon from the federal endangered species list in 1999. In
Ohio, the species is still listed as endangered.
Money derived from the sale of the cardinal license plate allows the
ODNR Division of Wildlife to manage for endangered species and wildlife
diversity. Additionally, Ohio taxpayers may contribute a share or all of
their state income tax refund to the division's Wildlife Diversity and
Endangered Species Fund by checking the appropriate box on their current
state income tax form.
Source: ODNR
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