(by Zoe Dawson)
On Thursday, May 23, two Peregrine Falcon chicks at the Brady Sullivan Tower in Manchester were examined and banded by New Hampshire Audubon staff members, led by Senior Raptor Biologist Chris Martin and assisted by Senior Biologist Rebecca Suomala and Communications Director Dyanna Smith. The event was livestreamed on YouTube thanks to our partners at Peregrine Networks. (You can watch the banding as well as other live happenings from the Brady Sullivan Tower nest box on their YouTube channel.) Since 2001, NH Audubon has banded 100% of the fledglings (76 chicks) produced at this breeding territory in downtown Manchester. More than 45% of these (36 fledglings) have been positively identified again in subsequent years via their leg bands. This year’s two chicks add to the more than 400 young Peregrines that NH Audubon has banded statewide since the early 1980s.
Two unhatched eggs were also collected from the nest box last week. These will likely be tested for the presence of contaminants. A total of 28 unhatched eggs have been retrieved from this Manchester nest site over the past 24 years.
Peregrine Falcon management in New Hampshire is currently supported by funds from NH Fish & Game and a grant from the Knopf Family Foundation.