Notes from the Field

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Peregrine Falcons:Back from the Brink

Observations near a falcon's eyrie

Words and Photography Jon and Laurel Bianchi

6.25.19

The fog is thick and heavy. The female arrives on wet wings and lands like a silent shadow on the eyrie ledge. She chups softly, then gives a long wail barely audible over the rustle of wind through the damp trees. The male replies from within the eyrie, the sound echoing gently, and she steps inside. They speak to one another in a series of muffled chups and he slowly moves off the eggs so she can settle down in his place. A moment later he steps outside and is gone in a flash of dark wings.

They’re still incubating.

In early January we had spotted the female in a large Douglas Fir, and throughout the season she still sits there, basking in the early morning warmth of the sun. In February we watched as the male cliff raced, and in the early days of March the pair flew around the rocks together, inspecting prospective nest sights and communicating in chups and wails. They copulated near a nest site they had used before, and later we saw the female flying in and out of the eyrie, pushing the substrate around to form a depression for her eggs.

By early April the female is incubating, and the male has been out hunting. When he finally returns he announces his presence with a wail, he has prey clutched in his talons. The female emerges to greet him, flying out to receive her well-earned meal in a midair transfer. Then she carries it to her perch, and the male takes over incubation.

A nest exchange.

Roughly thirty days have passed since we caught them incubating, we are hoping for young soon. Until the eggs have hatched and there are chicks to feed, the adults will not eat inside .

The next time we walk in fine dust raises beneath our feet, the mosquitos are already there to greet us, gathered in small, hungry clouds around our observation post. We must have just missed the male’s arrival. The female is out to greet him, and a moment later she returns to the eyrie, bringing his kill with her. From our position we can see just enough to recognize the pulling and reaching motions as she gently chups, encourages her young to eat. The male remains perched outside, preening and watching the skies. A Turkey Vulture passes overhead, casting a long shadow, the male takes off after it with a series of angry cries. Not even the scavengers will be allowed to fly there lazy circles in the area while there are young.

Zeka and her crew will band the young falcons at around twenty-three days old.

We will come back and check on how the young fledge, hopefully all will go well.

Laurel and Jon Bianchi have been watching Peregrine Falcons in the Santa Cruz Mountains since Laurel was in Elementary School. This father-daughter duo conducts nest observations for the Santa Cruz Predatory Bird Research Group every Winter and Spring, providing the necessary information to allow for accurate aging and banding of chicks in the nest, the keystone of our research and monitoring program.

Harriers in my Heart

Post by Andrea Villnueva
Artwork by Chelsea Kintz

4.30.19

Although there are many great raptors that soar through the skies of Santa Cruz, I believe that no other bird can compare to the unique and interesting Northern Harrier. Northern Harriers (Circus hudsonius) can be found throughout the northern hemisphere in Canada and the United States. Adult male Northern Harriers tend to have a greyish overall color with white bellies while adult females have mostly brown bodies with heavily streaked bellies. Juveniles are also mostly brown but unlike adult females, they have reddish bellies and less streaking. One characteristic that every Northern Harrier will have regardless of gender or age is a white patch just above their tail or rump. Unlike most hawks, Northern Harriers have a very distinct owl-like face and can rely on hearing when hunting their prey —an activity that I have been lucky enough to see for myself. Due to their unique qualities, Northern Harriers definitely stand out from the other raptors.

During one of my very first raptor observation sessions, one of the first birds that I encountered was a Northern Harrier. Northern Harriers usually hunt their prey while flying low to the ground near fields, marshes, or prairies, so it is no surprise that the one I was able to see was searching for food near the great meadow at UC Santa Cruz. On a day that started off with mostly just ravens and crows, it was refreshing to see a hungry Northern Harrier searching for a selection of small mammals it could prey upon. As a

new intern with very little identification skills, I was happy to see the signature white rump that all Northern Harriers have. It was an easy identification, which at that time made me feel more confident about my identification skills and encouraged me to learn more about the species. The hungry raptor continued to hunt as my fellow intern and I watched with amazement. Unfortunately for the bird, it flew away empty-handed after a couple of minutes of searching but watching it hunt was an exciting experience nonetheless.

Fortunately for myself and other fellow raptor enthusiasts, Northern Harriers are commonly spotted in the Santa Cruz area. They can be seen hunting for small mammals and birds or perched on a bush near the UC Santa Cruz Arboretum. One could even stumble upon a nest on the ground where they usually tend to build their nests. As my time goes on as an intern for the Santa Cruz Predatory Bird Research Group, it is amazing to see the different raptors that live and interact with the environment around us, but ever since my first raptor observation session the Northern Harrier has had a special place in my heart. I encourage those who are interested in raptors to go out and learn about the incredibly amazing bird that is the Northern Harrier.

Andrea Villanueva has been observing northern harriers and other raptor species as an intern for the Predatory Bird Research Group for three quarters. She is an Environmental Studies major at UC Santa Cruz with an emphasis in Conservation and Natural History. Originally from Victorville, California, Andrea's hobbies include bird watching, writing, and drawing.

Chelsea Kintz is an Ecology and Evolutionary Biology major at UC Santa Cruz with an emphasis in scientific illustration. Her work can be found at chelseakintz.wordpress.com. She has interned with the Predatory Bird Research Group for three quarters.

Address

Predatory Bird Research Group
Long Marine Lab
115 McAllister Way
Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Contacts

Zeka Glucs, Ph.D.
PBRG Director
Email: zekaglucs@ucsc.edu

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