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2007 Peregrine Falcon information - hatching of A.J.
2008 Peregrine Falcon information - hatching of Beaky
Mom and Dad Peregrine Falcons
- The birds were both banded by the US Fish and Wildlife Service in Omaha, NE.
- They have been making nesting attempts on top of our Topeka General Office building for seven years.
- Up until 2007 they were unsuccessful because the male has broken the eggs, some years up to four.
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(Nest box above downtown Topeka Office Building)
General Information about peregrine falcons
- The female is bigger than the male and incubation, which they share, generally takes 28 or 29 days.
- After hatching, young fly in five to six weeks.
- Peregrine Falcons feed mainly on birds taken in flight, with pigeons and starlings a favorite.
- They normally fly at 25-40 mph but when in a dive for prey, can fly at over 175 mph.
- They are a relatively small, with males being about 1 1/2 lbs and females being 2-2 1/2 lbs.
- Unlike larger raptors, their talons are relatively weak, so they kill their prey most often by striking it at high speed with their feet balled up into a "fist", then catching it as it falls.
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Because of efforts by organizations such as Westar, the number of peregrine falcons in the United States are rising, and they have been taken off the endangered species list.
From a low of 39 nesting pairs of peregrine falcons in the U.S. in 1972, more than 1,000 pairs exist today. Westar has been an important part of this successful falcon recovery program.
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