2 Peregrine Falcon Chicks Banded At MI's International Bridge

SAULT STE. MARIE, MI — Peregrine falcons have raised two chicks this year at the Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge, the International Bridge Administration said Tuesday.

The two chicks — a male named Tony and a female named Franny — were banded by a Michigan Department of Natural Resources team on June 10. Color-coded bands attached to the legs of young birds will allow scientists to track their movements, reproductive behavior and the population growth of the falcons.

"The mother bird refused to leave the nest this year,'' Karl Hansen, bridge engineer for the International Bridge Administration, said. ''That was a first. The MDNR staff had to gently remove her to access the young birds.''

Nest boxes for the peregrines have been installed since 2010 on the International Bridge. The same pair of peregrine falcons hatched one chick at the bridge last year. The site has been a great success over the years, hatching 32 falcon chicks since IBA staff started counting the birds, Hansen said.

One of the birds hatched and banded at the International Bridge was spotted and photographed in the Dominican Republic back in November 2020, showing how far the birds can travel.

Bridge administration added a video camera trained on the nest box several years ago. The "FalCam" has become very popular and is viewable online, offering bird watchers a front-row seat for the seasonal activities of the endangered raptors. The best time to view the birds is when they're nesting in the spring, officials said.

Officials said that Michigan lost its peregrine falcons in the 1960s and 1970s due to the use of environmental contaminants. The number of peregrines has fluctuated since conservation efforts began in the mid-1980s, but has generally increased since the 1990s, according to the MDNR.

The peregrine falcon has been removed from the federal endangered species list but is listed as an endangered species in Michigan, protected by state and federal law. Peregrines have adapted to city habitats, nesting on tall buildings, smokestacks and bridges around the world.

High-speed hunters capable of flying at 200 mph, the peregrines may help keep populations of nuisance pigeons under control. While researchers have found pigeons make up a relatively small portion of the falcon diet, the dangerous predators may play a role in frightening them away from bridges. Keeping pigeons away is seen as potentially saving the IBA maintenance money down the line, as pigeon droppings can damage the paint on metal bridge surfaces.