DNREC Falcon Cam update: Four chicks, all fit and outfitted with bands for future flight and fate

The 2013 DNREC Wilmington Falcon Cam chicks sporting new bands - Photo: Craig Koppie/US Fish & Wildlife ServiceWILMINGTON (May 15, 2013) – The four peregrine falcon chicks given starring roles on the DNREC Falcon Cam  – sponsored by the Delaware Ornithological Society and DuPont’s Clear Into the Future initiative – were outfitted for their own ornithological future this week. They were banded Tuesday by the US Fish & Wildlife Service so as to enable the gathering of biological and biographical data from them as they spread their wings into adulthood.

USFWS raptor biologist Craig Koppie gave the chicks colorful leg-bands Tuesday that will further knowledge about the regional peregrine population. Resightings of banded birds has provided valuable information on their movements, ancestry and adaptability to changing environments. “This data becomes even more important when we consider that the peregrine, once an endangered species, now inhabits more urban and suburban areas than natural cliff sites where it once resided,” said DNREC Division of Fish & Wildlife biologist Anthony Gonzon. “Resightings of these colored and numbered bands help us to identify individual birds that may have travelled several hundred miles from their birthplaces to new nesting locations.”

The fourth chick born from this year’s clutch to Red Girl, the female adult peregrine on the DNREC Falcon Cam, is on the right in the photo – and is the only chick not yet displaying colorful downy feathers. The chick hatched more than two days after its siblings. Facing a perilous possibility of survival because of its late arrival, the chick was removed from the nest box on the 19th floor of the Brandywine Building by Mr. Koppie, nurtured by him for two weeks, then returned to the nest box where it has since thrived.

CONTACT:  Michael Globetti, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902, or Bill Stewart, Delaware Ornithological Society, email: bird-del@earthlink.net

Photo: USFWS/Craig Koppie

Vol. 43, No. 197


Wilmington Peregrine Falcons again a full family unit after revitalized chick’s return to nest box

The two-day old falcon chick after it was removed from the nest - Photo: US Fish & Wildlife Service: Craig KoppieWILMINGTON (May 14, 2013) – With the recent return to the nest box of a chick that was artificially fed and cared for by human hand while it gained weight and strength to fend for itself in the box, the Wilmington Peregrine Falcons of DNREC Falcon Cam fame have regained the family dynamic as the four chicks prepare to fledge.

 Nesting high above the streets of downtown Wilmington, on the 19th floor of the Brandywine Building, adult falcons successfully hatched four eggs in April. The hatching of the fourth egg occurred three days after the first three, leaving a smaller, virtually helpless chick with little chance to compete with its larger siblings and a low chance of survival.The falcon chick at 2 weeks ago rejuvenated and ready for a return to nest box - Photo: US Fish & Wildlife Service/Craig Koppie After authorization from DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife, U.S. Fish & Wildlife raptor biologist Craig Koppie made an emergency intercession, and removed the chick from the nest, nurturing it for two weeks until it reached a size – and had a fighting appetite for life – comparable to its siblings’. (See adjacent photos by Mr. Koppie for growth comparison.)

Upon returning the chick to the nest box, Mr. Koppie reported to DNREC biologist Anthony Gonzon that “The mother” – affectionately known as Red Girl” to Falcon Cam devotees – “brought in a small bird and fed the other siblings until the very last piece, which she gave to the little one. My little buddy received his first piece of food from his mother since he hatched!” About an hour and half later, Red Girl “came in with a pigeon. The young male forced his way to the front and was fed by the mother until his crop was full.” 

Mr. Koppie himself returned to the nest box Tuesday morning to band the young falcons before their first flight and eventual departure for their own territory. All four chicks from the “class of 2013” were found to be thriving. Earlier, he had reflected on his rearing of the fourth chick, which quite likely saved its life, and its return to the nest box: “I liked his overall progress and physical abilities (for returning it to the nest box). I felt confident about the timing and development stages of the other siblings and that he would likely fit in.”

Photos: US Fish & Wildlife Service/Craig Koppie

Contact: Michael Globetti, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902 

Vol. 43, No. 195

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