| Ottawa's Peregrine Falcon Watch |
OFNC's peregrine watch
by Alan GermanPeregrine Falcons were once widely distributed throughout the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River areas. Their population declined dramatically as a result of the use of pesticides such as DDT. Following the ban on DDT in the 1970s, a recovery program, based on breeding captive Peregrines, has resulted in the release of many young birds back into the wild.
Some of these birds now nest in major urban centres, treating the high-rise buildings as "urban cliffs." In 1997, the first such nest was located at the Citadel Inn in downtown Ottawa. In 1998, the same pair of Peregrine Falcons returned to their nesting site and hatched two chicks.
Each year, members of the Ottawa Field-Naturalists' Club assist the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources to monitor the fledglings through the time of their first flights.
The adult birds are generally stationed close to the nesting site, and can sometimes be spotted perching on top of nearby buildings.
Their aerial acrobatics are spectacular to watch. When in an attack dive, stooping for prey, Peregrines can reach speeds of up to 300 km/h (186 mph) - the fastest animal on Earth!
Other sources of information about Peregrine Falcons
- Environment Canada, speces at risk fact sheet on the Peregrine
- The Canadian Peregrine Foundation
- University of Calgary
- USGS identification tips
