Peregrine Chick Banding

As part of an on-going project to monitor the Midwest peregrine falcon population, new peregrine chicks are banded each year at their nest-sites. On Friday, May 27, four chicks were banded at the Colonnade building. The nest box has been at this location since 1991, and as of this year, 70 young have been produced. Staff of both The Raptor Center and the Midwest Peregrine Society banded the chicks with small metal bands that will identify the birds, and took blood samples. There are two bands used – one is a federal band (purple) and the other is a bi-colored band that is more easily seen with a spotting scope or binoculars.

Peregrine falcons were removed from the federal Endangered Species list in 1999 after being successfully reintroduced to areas east of the Rocky Mountains.

This last photo, taken June 7, is of the chick that was banded with b/r 04/U on May 27. Can you see the feathers starting to show through the down?