HAVEYOUSEENAPEREGRINEFALCON?PleasereporttoBCParks
Photocredit:IainRobertReid2014
PeregrineFalcons(aspeciesatrisk)regularlynestonrockledgesontheStawamusChief.Close
humandisturbancecancausestressandreducenestingsuccess.Falconsmayaggressively
protecttheirnestbydive-bombingclimberswhogettooclose,whichposesasafetyrisk.
With the help of volunteers and the climbing community, BC Parks monitors falcon activity
between March and July each year to locate a nest. If a nest is located, sections of climbing
routesadjacenttothenestarecloseduntilmonitoringsuggestsallchickshaveleftthenest.
Ifyouseeafalcon,[email protected].
Pleaseprovideasmuchofthefollowinginformationaspossible:
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Dateandtimeofobservation
Numberoffalcons
Typeofactivity.Forexample,wasthefalconperched,flying,hunting,feeding,
vocalizing,copulating,defendingitsterritory,orsomethingelse?Didthebirddisappear
intoacrackintherock?
Locationoffalconactivity,andyourlocationwhenyouobservedthefalcons(include
climbingrouteandpitchnumberifknown/applicable)
Contactinformation(emailaddressand/orphone#)incaseweneedmoreinformation
Otherindicatorsofafalconnestsiteincludeabuildupoffalconexcrementoranaccumulationofbird
bonesleftbehindfromfalconfeeding.Pleasereporttheselocationsaswellifyouseethem.
NotsurewhatPeregrineFalconslooklike?
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Adultsareslatetoblackonthebackandhead,andpaleontheundersidewith
bars/spotsorarufouswashonthebreast,andagleamingwhitethroat.Thereisablack
wedgeonthefrontofheadextendingbelowtheeye,whichlookslikeablack
helmet/hood.
Juvenileslooklikeadultsbutwithdifferentcolourscheme:darkbrownabove,with
heavilystreakedbrownbreastandunderside(juvenilesappeardarkerthanadults).
Chicksareinitiallycoveredinfluffywhitedown,butoverthecourseofapproximately40
dayslosetheirdownwhichisreplacedwithregularfeathersandimmaturecolouration.
Inflightfalconshavepointedwings,anarrowtail,andquickpigeon-likewingbeats. They
soaronflatwingsandoftenappearuniformlydarkinflight.
Size: Peregrine Falcons are approximately crow sized, and their bodies are about 36-58
cm long.
Voice:Usuallysilentbutavarietyofwailsandcriescanbeheardduringthebreeding
season.Alarmcalloftheadultbirdsisagratingkree-aak,kree-aakorkikiki.Acallcan
beheardonthefollowingwebsite:
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Peregrine_Falcon/sounds
FormoreinformationaboutPeregrineFalconsandphotos,pleaseseethefollowingwebsites:
CornellLabofOrnithology
BCMinistryofEnvironmentstatusreport
CommitteeontheStatusofEndangeredWildlifeinCanada(COSEWIC)statusreportSpeciesat
RiskPublicRegistry
Thankyouforyoursupportandassistance!