Banding Manchester's Peregrine Chicks

By Doug MacPherson on Monday, June 11, 2001.

listen: No audio currently available. Order on CD (pdf).

Urban life meets wildlife when biologists band Manchester's peregrine falcon chicks.

FOR WILDLIFE BIOLOGISTS, BANDING PEREGRINE CHICKS USUALLY INVOLVES STRAPPING ON CLIMBING GEAR AND ASCENDING THE FACE OF A CLIFF. BUT SOME DAYS, THE JOB IS A WHOLE LOT EASIER.

TAPE: 246 SFX: ELEVATOR BELL, DING

ESPECIALLY WHEN THERE?S AN ELEVATOR.
CHRIS MARTIN IS A BIOLOGIST FOR NEW HAMPSHIRE AUDUBON SOCIETY.

TAPE CHRIS, 247 I had a look at the birds just a few minutes ago through the glass, and everybody looks healthy?. ( FADE AND HOLD UNDER)

MARTIN IS BRIEFING MICHAEL AMORAL, ENDANGERED SPECIES SPECIALIST WITH THE U-S FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE.
THEY?RE RIDING TO THE TOP OF THE NEW HAMPSHIRE TOWER IN MANCHESTER.

MICHAEL 250 so one male at least, maybe two?
CHRIS 252 well, I think there?s definitely at least one. But it?s hard to see each of the birds separately?

THE ELEVATOR COMES TO A STOP ON THE 14TH FLOOR. [TAPE: SFX 254 ELEVATOR DOORS OPEN; MACHINERY SOUND.] THE UTILITY ROOM

TAPE MARTIN 257 watch your step in here ? there?s a lot of hoses and other things.

275 ? SFX UTILITY ROOM
281 - SFX LOWER VOLUME, SFX

BIOLOGISTS FIRST PLACED AN ARTIFICIAL NEST BOX IN A WINDOW HERE ABOUT 10-YEARS AGO, WHEN PEREGRINES WERE FIRST SPOTTED IN MANCHESTER. BUT NO BIRDS NESTED UNTIL THIS PAST WINTER. THE FIRST OF FOUR CHICKS HATCHED JUST 24-DAYS AGO. THEIR BOX IS LINED WITH GRAVEL AND OPEN TO THE OUTSIDE. INSIDE, THE REAR PANEL IS HINGED. MARTIN OPENS IT TO SEE A TINY, ONE POUND BABY PEREGRINE STARING AT HIM WITH HUGE BLACK EYES.

TAPE MARTIN: want to put your hand in there, mike?

AMORAL?S GLOVED HANDS SCOOP UP THE CHICK. IT?S HARD TO IDENTIFY MORE THAN ITS HEAD AMONG THE MASS OF DOWNY, MOTTLED WHITE FEATHERS. HE GENTLY PLACES THE BIRD IN A PET CARRIER. THE PARENTS ARE CONVENIENTLY AWAY FROM THE NEST, HUNTING FOR FOOD. AMORAL REPEATS THE PROCEDURE FOR EACH OF THE THREE OTHER CHICKS.

TAPE AMORAL 306 well that went as well as could be expected, no problems there.//// hopefully we won?t keep them more than a half hour or so.

MEANWHILE, ON THE BUILDING?S GROUND FLOOR, A CROWD HAS BEEN GATHERING IN THE CAFETERIA, WHERE THE BANDING WILL TAKE PLACE. LINDA POWERS, A REGISTERED NURSE WHO WORKS IN THE BUILDING, MADE SURE SHE GOT HERE EARLY.

TAPE POWERS 200 the birds are certainly a motivation to me. It makes the job much, uh? it makes it worthwhile.

POWERS HAS YET TO SEE THE CHICKS. BUT FOR WEEKS NOW, SHE?S BEEN SENDING REPORTS TO AUDUBON ABOUT THEIR PARENTS.

TAPE POWERS. 194 when I walk around the building I look for the debris of their left over meals. And I just email them and tell them what I found, and I?d look for feathers, and I?d watch the male and the female and any activity or sounds that I?d would hear up in the box.

POWERS WAS ABLE TO RE-ARRANGE HER SCHEDULE SO SHE COULD BE HERE TODAY. SHE SAYS SHE WOULD HAVE CALLED IN SICK IF SHE?D HAD TO. THE CROWD NUMBERS MORE THAN A HUNDRED WHEN THE SCIENTISTS ENTER WITH THE PET CARRIER.

TAPE 350 SFX: CROWD HUSHES ITSELF.
SIDE 22222222222222222222222222222
079 SFX ? FUMBLING WITH BANDS.
083 SFX: BIRDS SQUEAKING, SOME CROWD REACTION.

MARTIN LIFTS OUT A CHICK. HE LOOSELY ATTACHES AN ALUMINUM BAND AROUND ONE LEG. AMORAL USES A RIVET GUN TO PLACE A COLORED BAND ON THE OTHER LEG.

114 SFX, RIVET, MIKE - doesn?t hurt, it?s just like a bracelet. Start six over four, black over green.

BANDING HELPS SCIENTISTS KEEP TRACK OF THESE BIRDS. BECAUSE THEIR PARENTS ARE BANDED, BIOLOGISTS KNOW THE FATHER IS BARELY A YEAR OLD, AND CAME FROM A NEST ON CATHEDRAL LEDGE IN NORTH CONWAY. THE MOTHER IS TWO YEARS OLD ? SHE?S FROM A NEST ON FROG?S NECK BRIDGE IN NEW YORK CITY. PEREGRINES SOMETIMES NEST IN CITIES, BECAUSE TALL MAN-MADE STRUCTURES PROVIDE IDEAL NEST SITES ? AND BECAUSE PIGEONS AND STARLINGS PROVIDE PLENTY OF FOOD FOR PARENTS? AND THEIR YOUNG.

TAPE CHRIS 121 CHRIS, this is the one we?ve been calling the runt. It?s smaller than the other three. TAPE, VOICE IN CROWD:
283 OH MY GOSH.
285 LOOK AT THAT, ISN?T HE CUTE.
288 LOOK AT HIM, SO CUTE.

WHEN FULLY GROWN, THESE BIRDS WILL BE ABLE TO DIVE AT SPEEDS OF MORE THAN TWO HUNDRED MILES AN HOUR. PEREGRINES ARE THE FASTEST BIRDS IN THE WORLD. BUT THIRTY YEARS AGO, PESTICIDES HAD WIPED OUT ALL PEREGRINES EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. UNDER THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT INVESTED MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO RESTORE THE BIRDS, BREEDING THEM IN CAPTIVITY AND RELEASING THEM IN THE WILD. THE PEREGRINE WAS REMOVED FROM THE FEDERAL ENDANGERED SPECIES LIST TWO YEARS AGO, BUT IT REMAINS ON NEW HAMPSHIRE?S LIST. THIS YEAR, NEW HAMPSHIRE HAS 13-PAIRS. IN A FEW YEARS, THE MANCHESTER CHICKS MIGHT HELP PUSH THE POPULATION UP TO 20-PAIRS.

TAPE 292 SFX: CHICKS SQUEAKING.

FIRST THOUGH, THEY?LL RIDE THE ELEVATOR BACK TO SEE THEIR PARENTS, WHO IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS, WILL TEACH THEM HOW TO FLY. FOR N-H-P-R NEWS, I?M DOUG MACPHERSON.