Adopt A Bird spotlight: Sirrocco (Peregrine Falcon)

Sirrocco's Story

Species: Peregrine Falcon
Hatched: Unknown

Sirrocco is a captive bred bird who came to us from another facility. In 1996, he was working at Scott Air Force Base as part of the Bird Air Strike Hazard program (B.A.S.H.). This program saves many lives every year by using falcons to deter other birds from flying in the vicinity of airfields, thereby preventing midair plane/bird collisions.

That year, while chasing a dove that flew toward a chain link fence, he was unable to veer off in time and collided with the fence, breaking both wingtips. At first it was thought that he would never fly again. However, after his wings healed one of our dedicated staff membersactually taught him to fly again, and he joined the BASH group at McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey. Unfortunately, it soon became clear tht he would never be able to manuever well enough to resume his air force career. He was returned to WBS to join our office of Wildlife Learning and began a new career as an education bird. When he's not traveling throughout the country with our education staff as an ambassador for his species, he can be found in the weathering area behind the Visitor Information Center at WBS headquarters in Valley Park, Missouri.

To adopt Sirrocco, simply click our donation button, make a donation of $100 and specify in your payment notes: Adopt-a-bird: SIRROCCO. Also include your name, phone number, and mailing address so that we can send you your adoption materials!

Every donation helps to feed, house, and provide medical care for the bird of your choice! Adopt-A-Bird Parents receive:

• A personal visit with the bird you adopt!!!!! Call 636-861-3225 to set up a time for
• your personal visit.
• Certificate of Adoption
• Color photo of the bird you've adopted
• Sponsorship Card
• One year's subscription to Mews News (our quarterly newsletter)
• Life History and Natural History of the bird
• 10% Discount off WBS merchandise
• Invitation to Sponsors-only events like Camera Day
• Discounts on WBS Special Events
• WBS Decal

Natural History

peregrine falcon
Falco peregrinus

Description: large falcon; short tail; pointed wing tips; slate-gray above; black helmet on head; whitish neck; buff beneath; lightly barred breast; wing tips almost reach tail tip when perched; regional variations exist (very dark in the northwest to pale in the north

Sex: females have more brown than males

Age: juveniles are a dark buff color with heavy streaking underneath

Length: 16-20”

Wingspan: 3-3.7’

Weight: 1.6 lbs.

Habitat: open country, cliffs, cities

Status: once found across all of North America until pesticides such as DDT eliminated eastern populations, almost to extinction; pesticide banning and captive-breeding programs have helped with their recovery; seen year-round in the US, but uncommon to rare in the winter

Behavior: don’t build nests; lay 2-4 reddish, darker flecked eggs in cliff hollows; bare rocky outcrops, bridges or tall building ledges; 28 day incubation period by both parents; chicks leave the nest at 5-6 weeks; hunts by flying very fast and making dramatic swoops to catch prey in midair

Diet: small birds, large insects, small mammals

Vocalization: rapid “kek kek kek kek”, repeated “we chew” at nest

√ World Bird Sanctuary’s reintroduction program put over 300 peregrines back into Missouri’s wild

√ Peregrines are the fastest animals on earth and have been clocked diving at 287 mph

√ Three subspecies exist: pacific (Peale’s), tundra and the interior west.

Adopt A Bird profiles are written and photographed by Gay Schroer.

Peregrine banding

On May 13th 2008, we went to Washington University Medical School, in St. Louis, MO, to band four peregrine chicks. There were three males and one female. We put on an ID band and a US Fish and Wildlife service band. After we were done, we put them back with their parents. They looked great. Banding helps keep track of bird movements and mortality.

Adopt A Bird spotlight: Edgar (Peregrine Falcon)

Edgar's Story

Species: Peregrine Falcon
Hatched: 1999

Edgar was a wild hatched peregrine falcon. His grandfather was the first wild hatched chick in Missouri in over 100 years. Edgar was injured on one of his fledgling flights from the nest atop the Chase Park Plaza Building, and suffered a broken coricoid (similar to a human collar bone). Once his injuries were repaired it was hoped that he could again be released into the wild. However, it was soon apparent that even though he could fly, his banking and diving abilities were limited by his injury and he would probably not be able to catch enough prey to survive on his own.

Generally, Edgar is a very quiet bird, however, in the morning he shakes with excitement when he knows it is time to go to his station in the weathering area. One of his favorite activities is taking a bath--especially in the rain. After many years of travelling and performing in education programs, he is now a member of the Office of Wildlife Learning and can usually be seen in the weathering area behind the Visitor Information Center. Edgar is the darker of the two Peregrine Falcons on display.

To adopt Edgar, simply click our donation button, make a donation of $100, and specify in your payment notes: Adopt-a-bird: EDGAR. Also include your name, phone number, and mailing address so that we can send you your adoption materials!

Every donation helps to feed, house, and provide medical care for the bird of your choice! Adopt-A-Bird Parents Receive:

• *A personal visit with the bird you adopt!!!!! Call 636-861-3225 to set up a time for
• your personal visit.
• * Certificate of Adoption
• * Color photo of the bird you've adopted
• * Sponsorship Card
• * One year's subscription to Mews News (our quarterly newsletter)
• * Life History and Natural History of the bird
• * 10% Discount off WBS merchandise
• * Invitation to Sponsors-only events like Camera Day
• * Discounts on WBS Special Events
• * WBS Decal

Natural History

peregrine falcon
Falco peregrinus

Description: large falcon; short tail; pointed wing tips; slate-gray above; black helmet on head; whitish neck; buff beneath; lightly barred breast; wing tips almost reach tail tip when perched; regional variations exist (very dark in the northwest to pale in the north

Sex: females have more brown than males

Age: juveniles are a dark buff color with heavy streaking underneath

Length: 16-20”

Wingspan: 3-3.7’

Weight: 1.6 lbs.

Habitat: open country, cliffs, cities

Status: once found across all of North America until pesticides such as DDT eliminated eastern populations, almost to extinction; pesticide banning and captive-breeding programs have helped with their recovery; seen year-round in the US, but uncommon to rare in the winter

Behavior: don’t build nests; lay 2-4 reddish, darker flecked eggs in cliff hollows; bare rocky outcrops, bridges or tall building ledges; 28 day incubation period by both parents; chicks leave the nest at 5-6 weeks; hunts by flying very fast and making dramatic swoops to catch prey in midair

Diet: small birds, large insects, small mammals

Vocalization: rapid “kek kek kek kek”, repeated “we chew” at nest

√ World Bird Sanctuary’s reintroduction program put over 300 peregrines back into Missouri’s wild

√ Peregrines are the fastest animals on earth and have been clocked diving at 287 mph

√ Three subspecies exist: pacific (Peale’s), tundra and the interior west

Bird's Eye View

Peregrine falcons (Falco peregrinus) are the fastest animals in the
world, reaching speeds up to 300 miles per hour. They reach these
high speeds by doing what is called a “tear drop” dive, which is
when they are high above their prey, then tuck their wings in close
to their body and drop straight at their next meal. Since Peregrines
use the impact at high speeds to kill their prey, they can only catch
their next victim if it is in the air. If there is a pigeon or duck
that is lying on the ground, Peregrines will fly by and hit it, until
it attempts to fly away. Pigeons make up most of their diet,
although they also have been known to hunt starlings, swifts, ducks, quail, and several other different species of songbirds and waterfowl.

Peregrine falcon pairs mate for life, and return to the same nesting
site annually. The most common nesting locations are on the edges of cliffs, on top of tall buildings, or on bridges. In most clutches,
three to four eggs are laid and are then incubated for 29-33 days.
After hatching, these chicks fledge at around 42-46 days, but remain dependent on their parents for about two months.

This is a young Peregrine that was hatched in 2006, at Labadie Power Plant. He was brought to our Rehabilitation Center after he had been in a collision with a vehicle in downtown St. Louis. He is now almost fully healed, but we continue to work with him on flying back and forth between our staff members to see if his
shoulder is now completely healed. As you can see in the pictures, he holds his left shoulder differently than he holds his right one. Once he is fully healed, we will release him back downtown in pigeon paradise.






Bird's Eye View is a regular column written and photographed by our volunteer Daniel.