Urban
Peregrine Falcons
Beginning
in the early nineteen sixties the future of the Peregrine Falcon,
Falco peregrinus looked
very bleak indeed. Organochlorine pesticides and other insidious
chemicals were wreaking havoc on the breeding success of this
magnificent raptor. Birds were laying thin-shelled eggs which were
unable to sustain the weight of the brooding female and wholesale
desertion of eyries was occurring. Stated plainly, the species was
unable to reproduce – a sure path to extinction. DDT was the
primary villain in this saga of bio-accumulation and
bio-magnification of pesticide residues.
Rachel
Carson was boldly sounding the alarm in her classic work “Silent
Spring” and was coming under sustained and perfidious attack from
the vested interests of the petro-chemical conglomerates who were
profiting hugely from the sale of these noxious substances, even
though they clearly posed long-term hazards to human health. Bravely
she persevered and DDT was ultimately banned in North America
(although it is still used elsewhere in the world).
With
significant intervention from a dedicated team of falcon researchers
the species slowly recovered. Peregrines had for many years used
skyscrapers in cities as suitable substitutes for the remote cliffs
they historically frequented as their breeding haunts. This
phenomenon appears to be more common than ever and it seems that
Peregrine Falcons that fledge successfully in cities return to breed
in a similar situation. There is a ready source of food, especially
the ubiquitous pigeons and starlings which every city has in
abundance.
At
the Sun Life Financial Tower in Waterloo a single Peregrine was
raised successfully by a dedicated pair of parents and has migrated
south for the winter. Many hazards still lie in wait for this young
bird (named Sunny, by the way) but we earnestly wish that he will
conquer all perils that confront him and return to breed one day.
Without
doubt, the whole sequence of events from first hint of nesting to
Sunny's first flight, provided many hours of entertainment and not a
little education for many people previously unaware of this fastest
animal on earth.
Let
us all hope that Peregrine Falcons are never again threatened with
oblivion. May we share this planet together in harmony, with respect
for all living things.
Note:
I was never able to get a good photograph and the picture above was
taken by Leslie McCollum in Imperial Beach, CA of a falcon about
which she wrote a book, that has returned to her neighborhood for
five consecutive years. Leslie has a long and dedicated history of
working with raptors and has a love not only for them but for every
facet of nature, however big or small. I am proud to call her my
friend.
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