By Molly Kirk/DWR
Photos by Meghan Marchetti/DWR
The banding of the chicks of the Richmond Falcon Cam falcons is an annual milestone of their successful hatching and maturation. On May 27, staff members from the Nongame, Wildlife, Aquatic, and Outreach divisions of the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) banded the three chicks of this year’s Falcon Cam-famous peregrine falcon brood at the Riverfront Plaza West Tower in downtown Richmond. A pair of state-threatened falcons has nested at the building since 2006; DWR manages the site and connects the birds to the public each spring through a live-streaming camera and informational blog.
Every year, the Falcon Cam peregrine chicks are banded by DWR biologists with federal and field-readable auxiliary bands. The biologists also also examine the chicks to ensure their good health. These banding efforts are incredibly important as they allow biologists to track the movements, lineages, reproductive history, and longevity of individual birds. This is especially important in small falcon populations that are still recovering, as is the case in Virginia.
DWR Watchable Wildlife Biologist Meagan Thomas (left) holds a peregrine falcon chick as DWR Nongame Bird Conservation Biologist Sergio Harding (right) applies a metal band to its leg.
DWR personnel were joined by Harry Schwab (Assistant Secretary) and Grayson Shultz (Project Manager) from the Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources Office, and by Josie Rao (Special Assistant) from the Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Office.
Harry Schwab, Assistant Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources, holds one of the peregrine falcons after it’s banded.
This was also the first year of a partnership between DWR and Triple Crossing Beer, who collaborated on a raffle to raise funding for DWR’s habitat restoration program. Also in attendance were three personnel from the brewery, as well as three raffle winners who won the chance to attend the banding.
DWR’s Meagan Thomas (center) and Kelsey Steenburgh (second right) with some of the Triple Crossing raffle winners who attended the falcon chick banding.
Peregrine falcon chicks can be accurately sexed at this age based on their size considering females are roughly 30 percent larger than males. After being weighed and having leg measurements taken, the trio was determined to be made up of one female (red), and two male chicks (blue and white). These color-based ‘names’ refer to the color tape that each chick had affixed to the band on the right leg. This tape is applied each year during banding and is used to help biologists keep track of the birds after they fledge—it falls off naturally within a few weeks.
DWR Watchable Wildlife Biologist Meagan Thomas (right) applies the blue color band to one of the male peregrine falcon chicks.
After the chicks were banded and returned to their nest box, a pen was connected to the nest box so as keep the now very mobile young from coming off the building before being ready to fly. The chicks were released on June 10 and then monitored as part of the annual Falcon FledgeWatch event.
DWR staff return the peregrine chicks (in the ventilated blue boxes) to their nest box as one of the adult falcons flies overhead.
One of the adult peregrine falcons flying around the Riverfront Plaza West Tower with a watchful eye.
A peregrine falcon chick being held during the banding process.