rk30+@andrew.cmu.edu (Ruth Kline) (02/26/91)
I am not a regular reader of this net as I have no pet birds, but thought you all might be interested in hearing about an encounter I had last week with a Peregrine Falcon. It was something I'll never forget! I live in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, which last year introduced Peregrine Falcons in an attempt to control the pigeon population. Peregrines feed exclusively on other birds. Last week I got home from work about 5:30 -- nearing dusk at this time of year. I opened my back door to let my two dogs out into the backyard and beheld this sight: a Peregrine (male, I believe) devouring a pigeon that he was holding in one claw. This was happening no further than 10-12 feet away! As soon as he heard the door, he looked up, spread his magnificent wings and literally did a vertical takeoff. He flaped his wings -- they had to have at least a 36" spread -- about three times, and by that time he was 15 feet off the ground. All this time he was looking down at me. And I was absolutely spellbound. Then he did a quick bank, a 180 degree turn and was gone. What a spectacle! But the thing that was most impressive was the silence of it all. The only sound was the air displacement as those big wings did their job. It was a sight I never thought I'd see in the city. BTW, he left the pigeon where it was. Interestingly, he devoured the head first -- beak and all -- and had just torn open the craw which was full of freshly eaten cracked corn and grain. At least the poor guy died with a full tummy. Do any netters know of other cities that have tried this anti-pigeon solution? Do any netters know more about Peregrine's nesting habits? They are such large birds, I wonder where they build nests? I'd appreciate any information on Peregrines. It's hard to imagine such magnificent creatures adapting to a city environment.