They Grow Up So Fast!

The hack boxes are dismantled, the Birds of Prey Northwest crew has returned to Idaho and to colleges, and we have the last remaining Peregrine hanging around downtown Rapid City. Rio, re-released August 17th, visits the rooftop once or twice a day. We're feeding her smaller portions of quail, encouraging her to hunt on her own. It's with relief we see her as confirmation she is still an active bird, but also with some anxiety, wanting to make sure she's going to do well in her upcoming migration. The days are getting shorter, the nights cooler, and the biological indicators in her brain will send her south in the coming few weeks.

The 2010 Reintroduction project was a success. With only one confirmed mortality, we achieved solid results. Even though statistics say the majority of our 20 will not survive their first year, we can look to our northern neighbors in Fargo, ND. One of their first releases, who bolted immediately upon release, wasn't seen again for a couple years. Mature and ready to begin his adult responsibilities, he returned to sire many of the peregrines who now call Fargo home.

As our new friends are flying south, I'm driving west to visit the Birds of Prey Northwest Rehabilitation Ranch near Coeur d'Alene, ID. A full week observing Janie Fink as she rehabilitates and releases other birds of prey into the wild is in store. I'm sure there will also be some chores like cleaning aviaries. I no longer say "eeew!" at bird droppings and can give you a healthy or not so healthy indication by looking at them. I am also looking forward to some hiking and certainly planning for our 2012 project. I can't wait to share my trip pictures with you!

Nearing Completion (for this year)

Shame on me for not blogging the past couple weeks. There has been lots going on atop the Assurant rooftop, and lots going on in the floors below. Afterall, we do have a business to run and customers to serve.

Our 2011 Peregrine Reintroduction Project starts to wind down this week. Hard to believe three months have flown by (pun intended, of course.) There are a few birds returning to the site every couple of days or so. They are hunting on their own for the most part, and with the days getting shorter, their instincts tell them it's time to start migrating soon. I think they know Blake and Ashley, the interns, left to finish their Biology degrees at university.

I recall the first arrivals on May 23, 2011. Four little fluff balls of down, two male and two female. Those fluff balls are long out on their own and haven't been seen in a long time. Yesterday was a wonderful day to celebrate a final release. Sunny, mid 70's, and one last success story to finish!

Recall in my July 27 post that Rio was injured in traffic, and had a small chance (estimated at 10%) of being returned to fly free. She spent a couple weeks at the Birds of Prey Northwest Rehabilitation Ranch in St. Maries, ID and was returned to SD Wednesday, healed and ready for release. After a couple of days of final observation in the hack box, she got her second release on freedom yesterday. Her feathers were checked, her shoulder and wing alignment checked, and after a moment of "should we or shouldn't we", the decision was made. She was ready to fly with one last command from Janie. "Okay, Rio. You are going to fly. But if you can't do it, I want you to come back."

Rio was placed in the blind, quail was set out along with fresh water in the water bath, and the roof was quickly cleared. Within a few minutes, she confidently stepped out of the blind, and walked out onto the open door. Since she'd already flown before, we weren't sure if she'd take immediate flight, or hang around. The quail proved to be a good diversion, and she spent the first 45 minutes of freedom filling her crop and drinking water. This time, however, there was no sitting on the ledge, dropping onto the Assurant sign, and sitting for a whole day. Satiated and ready, she confidently spread her wings and took to the air in a beautiful flight to the Qwest tower. Rio was on her own.

We have a week of educational programs with Pennington, taking down the hack boxes and storing them for next year, and a final report to the South Dakota Wildlife director. And lots of planning for next year!

Counting to Ten

One, two, three...TEN! Ten blessed peregrines accounted for. "Blessed" as in dang dammit, as in blessings and miracles, and as in lucky birds.  Last weekend was full of fun with the Rapid City raptors. Bolt got her chance at independence last Thursday, but contrary to the aggressiveness she demonstrated from the beginning, she wasn't ready to fly off the roof just yet. So at dark, the observation team packed up and headed for a good night's rest in anticipation of another day of observation.

In the evening hours, Rio (released earlier in the week) was actively chasing prey when she flew low to the ground and was accidently hit by a car. Luckily, the accident was called in right away, and Blake Schioberg, the biologist intern on the project responded to the call. Quick obervation and response meant Rio got into a veterinarian right away for care and treatment.

Call two came in. Bolt had been blown off the building ledge and landed in the street below. A group of late night revelers thankfully saw her and got her moved out of traffic to safety. Rescue #2 was underway. By Sunday, both birds were xrayed, observed, and back in the hack for a couple days. Twenty-four hours after her re-release yesterday, Bolt is still atop the roof, moving around the perimeter skirting and taking her time to make that first real solo flight. Rio has a severely dislocated shoulder, will have months of healing and extensive rehabilitation ahead of her, with a small window of hope she'll be able to released to the wild at some point next year. You can observe her in box #2 where she is eating well and trying her best to fly with just one wing working.

That's two birds, and team observations sighted seven other birds dining on quail, or hunting prey on their own in the area. Diners at the Tuesday evening hack board included Lucky Linde, Roxanne, Hope, Wild Bill, Sky, Rex, Amelia, and Kanoa. Athena was observed in flight on Monday.

Ten lucky birds, and lucky me ten times over for getting to be a part of this project!

July 13 to 14, 2011: Lazy Day to Crazy Day

Tuesday found our new and previous releases hanging out on the Assurant rooftop, the Qwest communications tower, and the Hotel Alex Johnson.

"You go first."

Wednesday dawned early and wild, with a call to Janie from the Rapid City police department. Athena, who hadn’t taken her first flight yet, was discovered around 3:30 AM, on the ground seven stories below the Assurant building’s rooftop release site. Senior Officer Richard Holt, and Officer Dan Mertz responded to a call from Terry Williams, an attorney with Gunderson, Palmer, Nelson and Ashmore reporting the downed bird.

The officers were instructed to grab Athena and hold onto her until Janie arrived. Senior Officer Holt stated,  “As a police officer I have been called upon to do many unique tasks.  This was one of the most interesting.  When I arrived, I recognized the bird as an incredible animal and one not commonly found in the Black Hills.  Even though saving a raptor falls far outside our typical duties, I knew it was important for us to do our best in helping to save the bird.  I am glad we were able to help and this will always be a call I will remember.” 



Our Heros



Athena will spend a couple days in

Box 2

with Bolt while her bruises heal, and she’ll be released on Monday.  It’s easy to tell the two girls apart. Bolt is still covered in her white down.

As if THAT wasn’t enough, Athena’s sister Rio spent the night atop the Assurant “T” in the rain.  By mid morning, being wet and hungry, she started getting a little antsy, and struggled to get in a position that allowed her to confidently expand her wings and catch an air current. It took some jostling around and several tries, when she finally took a leap of faith for her first short flight to another rooftop in downtown Rapid City.  



I think I can. I think I can.




OK. Here I go!!!



I can fly!

Throughout the day, bird watching was eventful and exciting. Our experienced fliers were active chasing and playing their developmental war games. Our new releases were testing their wings with shorter, point to point flights that gained altitude as they gained experience. One of our earlier releases did a little showing off for some guests atop the Hotel Alex Johnson as he or she flew in to land on a railing, but discovered the balcony occupied by pesky humans. Talons came out, wings adjusted, and the mighty peregrine quickly changed course midair five foot in front of us. It was beautiful, but also a great reminder that in this urban release, we must learn to co-exist with these beautiful birds, and respect their space for them to survive and flourish in the coming years.

July 11, 2011 - Release Day

A week ago, our four young birds were covered in down and standing in the back of the hack, not sure about their new surroundings. In eight short days, they learned about urban things like a loud train whistle, fireworks, honking horns and thunder storms. They lost the down, and today demonstrated they were strong enough to be free to move outside their protected enclosure.

Rio, Amelia, and Athena were sisters, accompanied by their little brother Wild Bill. I emphasize little. Two of the girls maintained their status as the heaviest of our releases this year, still weighing over a kilogram each.

At 3:00 pm, all four had been weighed, feathers and bands checked, orange marks painted on their wings, crops noted as full (they'd been eating well) and they were judged ready to go by Janie Fink, our project biologist. All four ventured out of their hack box when it was opened. A late afternoon release plus rain showers helped keep the birds from trying to fly too quickly and getting into trouble. But it didn't take long before they were hopping to the ledge of the building to look out at the horizon and look down the straight vertical seven story drop below them. The anticipation and watching is much like having kids! Same sort of worries: Are they eating enough? Will they stay where I can watch them? Do I know where they are going? Don't stand so close to the edge! When Amelia slipped off the ledge to the rooftop, there was a gasp or two from the observers.

Little Wild Bill isn't wild at all. He is a calm, sweetheart of a bird. He has sleek, dark feathers and a lean body. While his sisters are quite vocal in expressing themselves, he quietly watches and observes. Yes, I am head over heals enraptured with this raptor.

"He's not a pet. He's not a pet. He's not a pet."

We still have a number of free flying birds from previous releases hanging around the area. Lucky Linde, Kanoa, Vito, Hope, and Sky were all observed on the rooftop today. They flew in shortly after the newbies were released to the open hackbox; almost like a welcoming committee or coming out party for debutantes. One thing is certain: they may be fond of the quail being provided to fill their crops, but they certainly don't like humans being present. They seem to appear from nowhere when the hacks are being refurbished with food, circling above the rooftop and verbalizing their dissatisfaction with distinctive screeches of warning.  

Our final falcon arrived from Colorado Springs yesterday. Bolt is a 30 day old female fluff ball full of vinegar. With lightning speed, she managed to draw blood on a couple of the handlers when they banded and weighed her. It will be about 10 days before she will be ready for release.  You can observe the difference in appearance these birds take on in a short period of time. Check out the webcam, and see Penny in the left box at 55 days old, and Bolt in the middle box at 30 days old. Their proportions, feathers, and coordination are very different.

Again, if you have questions about our birds or the project, we welcome you to post below or email Janie Fink at Janie@bopnw.org.

July 6, 2011 - Round and Round They Go

Dining outside for a late lunch today, we looked skyward and witnessed another milestone in Peregrine development. One of our free fliers was high above downtown Rapid City, gracefully gliding in the warm summer air in a clockwise circular pattern. Their wings were fully extended, but not flapping. Only their feathers and wing tilt guided our friend higher and higher, lifting him on the air current created from the warming urban landscape. Janie explained this as ringing up. Peregrines learn to use the thermal current to naturally rise further and further into the sky, so high they eventually speck out, or are no longer visible to the naked eye below. Sure enough, after a few minutes of watching this poetry in motion, we lost sight of the bird.

Ringing up is a key development in the young peregrine. It means they are another step closer to their adult skill of diving at 200 miles per hour (stooping) to unexpectedly snatch their prey in midair. It's also a key element in their forthcoming migratory journey, allowing them to rise high above the earth with little effort, and use the wind currents to carry them the long distance to the southern hemisphere in as little as a week. Peregrines are their own energy conservationists!

Our newest arrivals are settled into the hack. They arrived last Sunday from Brad Mitchell, a breeder in Watertown, SD. We consider it a special group, as they are Mr. Mitchell's last clutch before retirement from the falcon breeding program. Two of the girls are our largest babies yet, each weighing over 1 kilogram! On a wing and a prayer, we hope they will thrive after their release this following Sunday, and return to breed and re-establish the species here in western South Dakota. Once a Dakotan, always a Dakotan! Here are three of the newest arrivals in the blind right after we weighed and banded them.

Athena, Rio and Wild Bill. Not pictured is Amelia (she's shy)

Our other free fliers are doing very well. Lucky Linde proudly brought his first kill back to the Assurant rooftop yesterday, a sign he has imprinted to the area and in adulthood more apt to return to breed. His prize was also admired by the others, and a game of tug-of-war and snatch ensued between Linde, Roxanne, and Rex. In addition to being fun to watch on the UStream web cam, it's also an important development. Now our young ones know the taste of fresh, warm food and will wean off the prepared quail that has sustained them as growing babies.

Finally, we received great news that our older birds, released in early June, are dispersing. We have a confirmed sighting in the Omaha Street/Deadwood Avenue area. These older birds are now completely on their own, hunting, perching on high poles, cell towers, and buildings. We encourage everyone to keep their eyes on the sky (but not while driving!) and call Janie at cell # (208) 582-0797 or respond to this blog to report a sighting. Look for the red band on the right leg to tell you it's one of our peregrines.

An example of the red band on the right leg, identifying the bird with this project.
Blog or call with a sighting; unfortunately, these fellas don't send post cards home to let us know of their travels.

We are very pleased with the progress of our project, and invite you to share this blog and the UStream Falcon Cam with your friends. Post questions below, and let us know if there's a particular topic we can address here.

July 2, 2011 - It's A Night On the Town

More like a party on the rooftop! There are six feathered friends at the hack eating and resting, enjoying the city view from the ledge of the Assurant building.

And tomorrow, well...we get our last special delivery! Stay tuned, or better yet, click above and watch the party.

July 1, 2011 - Celebrating Freedom

Yesterday marked the release of two females, Hope (band A28) and Sky (band A29), plus one male Rex (band A06).  Little Rex still sported downy white feathers on his crown, but the girls were virtually down-free. From a distance, one might think they all look alike but on further examination, each possesses their own feather patterns and dispositions.


Hope-It's all in her name

   

Rex - Has spunk!




Sky - A Sweet Beauty

These three were ready for their freedom, flying perch to perch and watching the previously released birds from inside their hack box. It was time to weigh, check feathers and paint their wings with green marks before giving them true freedom. Within a couple minutes of opening the hack box, these three walked out of their blind, looked around to peruse the area, bellied up to the feeding tray for a bite, then ventured out to the rooftop ledges where they spent a rainy night looking down on the city streets, flapping wings while in a run, and further gaining coordination and confidence. By this morning, all three had flown off the roof. The team has been visually tracking and observing them through the day, and will work the weekend to be certain they adapt well.

Our other releases are well on their way to independence also. Kanoa proved himself as a bird of prey and was observed taking a black bird on his own. As a team member, the feeling is akin to seeing your child take their first steps! Delta and Vito are ‘the boys’ and have become fast pals. Where one flies, the other soon follows in an almost identical flight pattern. Roxanne and Lucky Linde are frequent visitors back at the rooftop. Pennington, who we affectionately call Penny, remains under staff care as she continues to develop her strength.  She has developed quite a curious personality and remains a delight to care for as she continues to gain momentum.  Staff remain optimistic for her future.

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY TO FALCONS AND FRIENDS!

June 28,2011 - Games Birds Play

Our feathered friends development continues, as evidenced by their aerial displays of combat. These mock "wars" are how the young peregrine gains and hones the ability to stealthily pursue prey via a level flying plane, or the skills to dive at 200+ miles per hour in what is called a stoop.  Their play includes chasing each other's tails, throwing out their talons in front of them while in flight, and rolling as they would to capture their prey.  They practice catching their first prey by bugging, or extending their feet while in flight and snatching a bug in mid air. All these maneuvers increase their confidence and ability to catch their preferred dietary choice of other birds such as pigeons or song birds, to quickly change direction in flight, and to capture prey for their next meal. Best viewing time seems to be 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM when the temperatures are cooler.  With three additional birds scheduled for release on Thursday, there should be plenty of opportunities to see these falcons on their favorite perches or flying.

We're happy that the released peregrines have established their own "Indy" track that allows them to feel safe while practicing the skills key to their survival. All can be seen flying between the eastern point on Alex Johnson Hotel, the cell tower north of the Assurant building, and the many ledges of the Assurant rooftop.  As they gain more confidence their fly zone will increase and they will disperse into a wider area of Rapid City before migrating this fall.

These young birds are still considered babies, even though their natal down feathers are almost all gone. Viewing them on the webcam shows only a few white downy feathers remaining on the tops of their heads. At night, they primarily return to the Assurant rooftop where they know there is food, water, and a safe place to belly down and sleep. During the day, our yellow-painted releases return for short naps, feeding, and water. All these activities indicate our Rapid City Peregrines are imprinting successfully and increasing the chances of a future return.

As the weeks progress, the readily supplied quail at the hack site will be reduced, encouraging the birds to hunt on their own.  This is also the time the young birds are more apt to get into trouble. Please call Janie Fink at 208-582-0797 to report any bird that may look like he or she is in trouble.  

June 27, 2011 - Up, Up and Away!

Saturday was release day for five of our eight young birds, and despite tense moments from a serious storm, our little friends fared well over the weekend.

Four males and 1 female joined the other three who are actively flying around downtown Rapid City. This latest release group are sporting yellow wing spots. The different colors identify which release the birds were a part of while we track their first flights and development once they are airborne. 

A healthy supply of quail and water was placed on the opened hack door to assist in feeding the released birds, and a check of the site via the streaming video (see link above) through the weekend showed the birds had been eating quite well since their release. We are always stringent on any human presence near the hack site, but especially avoid being anywhere on the roof when we have birds that have been released, feeding or resting anywhere on the top. 

Saturday also brought a loud, boisterous evening and some anxious moments for our interns and biologist. Like much of the midwest, a series of severe thunderstorms rolled through the area, bringing heavy rains, hail, high winds, dangerous lightening and loud thunder. A formidable place atop a seven story building! We're pleased all five waited through the storm unscathed, and have been actively leaving and returning to the Assurant rooftop. It's good to know nature's fury and the sights and sounds of the city do not appear to negatively spook our young charges.

Names of the group with their corresponding tag numbers are Delta (03), Vito (04), Roxane (27), Lucky Linde (07), and Elsu (08).

If you see any of these falcons on the ground or in any kind of trouble, please call the South Dakota Game Fish and Parks to report the situation immediately. Remember they are identifiable by the bright colored wing paint (orange or yellow) and red bands around their right legs.

The remaining three birds, 1 male and 2 female, will be released midweek. Our final group  is due to arrive about July 2 and be released mid month. 

June 24, 2011 - What a Difference A Week Makes!

Our brood is growing like crazy since their arrivals last week. The fluffy down that covered their little bodies now covers the hack floor or is blowing in the wind, blending in with the plentiful cottonwood seedlings filling the air this time of year.  They are actively flapping and eating and flying perch to perch in the safety of their roomy enclosure. 

Today is another big day with a planned release of five tiercels, or male peregrines. Technically, only the female peregrine is called a falcon.  In raptors, a biological condition called reverse sexual dimorphism means the tiercel is about 1/3 the size of the female falcon. The male develops and flies faster, yet the female can capture larger prey for feeding the young, and keeping her clutch or group of eggs incubated.

Thus concludes our Friday vocabulary lesson.  Let’s get back to our birds. The five males will be sporting yellow wing paint for identification. These boys were named Vito, Delta, Tomahawk, Lucky Linde, and Elsu.  We purposefully have a higher number of males than females in our project.  It is believed that the males return closer to the site from where they took their first flights than the females do.  Hence, these boys are important in our reintroduction effort to help reestablish breeding pairs that will return and nest in or close to Rapid City.

The release is always a challenge in terms of tracking where each bird heads when they fly from the rooftop. This is the time for any folks wanting to volunteer with binoculars and help to track the birds from the ground to call Ashley at (605) 209 4260. These birds are beautiful fliers, but they are clumsy and inexperienced at landing. They can end up in some precarious places until they learn the intricacies of aerodynamics. There are man-made dangers like electrical lines and guy wires that can ground these young birds. Spotters help our trained staff respond quickly if one of these youngsters gets into trouble.

An update on our previous releases:   Kanoa and Flash have both successfully flown and returned to the Assurant rooftop to feed and perch on the ledge of the building. Calamity Jane, a more mature female falcon, was  dive-bombing the staff yesterday as they cleaned the release sight water baths. She clearly is defending her turf and knows that Rapid City is her home!  As previously reported, the other mature female, Weaver, was observed chasing pigeons and is believed to be hunting on her own and expanding her home range. The 3 remaining females named Roxanne, Hope, and Sky, are slower to develop and will be released next week sometime. They remain visible on the webcam in their release box. “Penny” the little falcon who has been under staff care due to delayed development is slowly improving and will likely make a trip to the vet for an x-ray to rule out any unforeseen complications. We remain optimistic about her future.

We are fortunate to have exceptionally dedicated interns on our project.  Ashley Hrabe, a junior at South Dakota State University is from Rapid City and majoring in wildlife and fisheries sciences. She is proving to be invaluable to the staff as she hones her observational skills and uses her knowledge of the area to help us track our young fliers. She is learning the facets of raptor reintroduction efforts and is a delight to work with! Blake Schioberg, a senior at the University of Idaho majoring in wildlife biology is a returning veteran, having spent 2 years with osprey reintroduction in Yankton in 2009 and 2010. Blake is assuming greater responsibility this year with peregrines and is being groomed to actually assume leadership of the nonprofit, Birds of Prey Northwest in Idaho.

Left to right: Ashley Hrabe and Blake Schioberg

 We hope the interns return next year as we repeat our reintroduction efforts with peregrines in South Dakota.

The webcam is proving popular with over 1000 hits daily. Special thanks to Craig Burnett from Kansas City and his special talents that enabled us to make the technological leap!

June 23, 2011 A Contrasting Reintroduction

If only there was a standard operating procedure for the development, care and reintroduction of these beautiful young raptors. But, like any of the species inhabiting planet Earth, caring for Peregrines can be more complex than even the highest evolved Homo sapiens.  

Weaver (Red band A25) arrived at the release sight on May 25, 2011. She was strong, flapping her wings immediately and having an attitude of supremacy that said “Don’t mess with me, my talons, or my beak.” She weighed the heaviest of all the birds in our project at 950 grams. Upon her release on June 4, 2011, she quickly flew to higher points in the downtown Rapid City area, including the cell tower north of the Assurant building, the patio of the Turnac Tower, and the signal platforms of the Quest Communications Tower. She was observed chasing a pigeon, a sign in her development that she is learning to chase and capture her own food. Soon, she will be dispersing, or leaving the area to hopefully return in two years at maturity.

Penny (Red band A26) arrived on June 15. She was younger than Weaver on her arrival day and covered in much of her fluffy natal down. She looked healthy, alert, and weighed a respectable 854 grams. Penny was relatively the quiet, curious type, especially in contrast to Weaver's big and brassy self announcements. Perhaps a matter of age difference, after a couple days in the hack box, it was evident Penny wasn’t eating as she should have been and wasn’t as active as the four other birds in the hack box with her. After two days, Janie completed a field exam. As suspected, Penny had lost some weight, was slower in developing her stamina in standing upright, and displayed signs of farsightedness. Over the next days, Penny will be individually cared for to determine her ability to survive as a member of the release program. If not, an alternate plan as an educational bird living in an aviary may be necessary.

In the wild, the strongest survive. A Peregrine’s life is focused on hunting, eating, and reproducing for the species to survive. Our ultimate goal is to reestablish the Peregrine to its native habitat, yet at times that may mean we have to intervene enough to assist in the Peregrine’s continued recovery in the biological balance. With luck, Weaver will be populating the wild with future Peregrines, and Penny may be further educating us humans to respect and care for the future of this beautiful hunter.

Quick Update - Tuesday noon

Kanoa found his flight wings and hit the skies late yesterday evening. Flash is still hanging out on the ledge of the Assurant building, getting used to wind currents. He hops and flaps between the ledge, roof top, and perches but hasn't taken full flight as yet. Check him out on the streaming video link at top of this page.

June 20, 2011.

What a week it’s been! Our webcam is thankfully up and running, we have 11 new arrivals, and all the juvenile Peregrines have settled in nicely. We have seven male and four female in the hack. What’s a hack? It is an ancient term that refers to the site and the method of helping young falcons reach their hunting potential. Food, water, and an environment simulating their natural environment are provided with very little human interaction to give the young falcons experience and exercise in preparation for their release. The hacking period is normally about 10 days, or approximately six weeks of age.

Our new arrivals have an average age of 40 days old, and they weigh between six hundred and one thousand grams. Over the next ten days, they will lose their fluffy white natal down as their juvenile feathers come in and mature enough for flying. In the meantime, they spend their days exercising their wings, hopping between perches, eating, and preening. At night, they settle down and sleep. 

Today, two strong males, Kanoa and Flash, were given the green light for release by Janie Fink, the Raptor Biologist in charge of the project. Releasing these guys is when the fun and nail biting begins. Will they bolt to the air where spotters have to record which direction they fly and try to follow them? Will they cautiously step out of the hack but hang around for awhile before truly flying? Each young male was marked on the underside and top of both wings with orange, non-toxic paint for easy identification after they leave the roost. Once the birds fly, observation from the roof of the Radisson Hotel across the street is a bit easier. The birds are weighed, feathers checked for maturity, and keel checked to be sure they are eating properly.

The hack is prepared by putting the ready birds in the blind, while a hack board of tethered quail and water is placed on the open hack door. Janie unlatches the blind door and lets a small stream of light through, then high tails it off the roof. Until these newly released birds fly, there will be no planned human presence on the roof of the Assurant building where the hack is located.  Our goal is to imprint these falcons to their urban environment and not to humans. 

Posts are manned, and the wait begins. Kanoa and Flash emerged from the blind and walked to the edge of the hack door. Kanoa, being the more mature, tested his wings and hopped out onto the lowered door. Within the hour, he had flapped and hopped himself off the hack completely, but was finding flying in open air a bit more difficult. Over the next hours, he will continue to exercise his wings, hop to get more and more into the air, and hopefully tomorrow, take his first real flight past the rooftop. Meanwhile, Flash is cautiously hanging back at the opened hack, observing the view and activity around him. Calamity Jane, a strong female who was released on June 4 with another female and two other males, returned to the hack site today, and is providing a good example to the younger esays.

Follow our blog daily for progress and learning about these valuable birds being reintroduced to western South Dakota by the South Dakota Game Fish and Parks Department’s Wildlife Division, Birds of Prey Northwest, and business partners in downtown Rapid City. Watch our bird cam at www.tinyurl.com/rcperegrines.

Welcome to Rapid City Falcons!

This blog will keep you updated on the status of our project.  Tune in often to watch the birds and catch up on all that's happening!