I promised an update if I gained any information after reporting the banded Peregrine Falcon I encountered at Bogles Wharf, Eastern Neck NWR, in Rock Hall, Maryland, back in November 2022 (previous post here with all photos).
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Peregrine Falcon (female)
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I received an email response with the below certificate on January 10, 2023. The falcon was a female banded May 2022 in Westborough, Massachusetts, before she fledged. As a straight shot, she was about 375 miles from her birth home. Check out her banding data below!
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“See my bands?”
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She was gorgeous, all fluffed-up in the chilly wind that day. I loved when she changed her stance to alert, showing the powerful falcon she is growing to be.
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Don’t mess with this fierce gal!
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Do any of you Massachusetts friends and followers live near our gal’s original location?? I’d love to know!
For further information on reporting banded birds you may encounter, please read my email’s following excerpt. And please do not hesitate to report any banded bird info and photos. They do not necessarily need all the data on the bands, sometimes colors and a few number/letters still works miracles in identifying!
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The North American Bird Banding Program
Bird banding is important for studying the movement, survival and behavior of birds. About 60 million birds representing hundreds of species have been banded in North America since 1904. About 4 million bands have been recovered and reported.
Data from banded birds are used in monitoring populations, setting hunting regulations, restoring endangered species, studying effects of environmental contaminants, and addressing such issues as Avian Influenza, bird hazards at airports, and crop depredations. Results from banding studies support national and international bird conservation programs such as Partners in Flight, the North American Waterfowl Management Plan, and Wetlands for the Americas.
The North American Bird Banding Program is under the general direction of the U.S. Geological Survey and the Canadian Wildlife Service. Cooperators include the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Mexico’s National Commission for the Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity and Secretary of the Environment and Natural Resources; other federal, state and provincial conservation agencies; universities; amateur ornithologists; bird observatories; nature centers; nongovernmental organizations such as Ducks Unlimited and the National Audubon Society; environmental consulting firms and other private sector businesses. However, the most important partner in this cooperative venture is you, the person who voluntarily reported a recovered band. Thank you for your help.
How cool is this! We have a tagged Bald Eagle here who was hatched in Channel Islands National Park as part of a successful bald eagle reintroduction program.
It is quite remarkable how the banding program is done, the number of bands, the band(s) color(s), the numbers, the letters, what direction the letter is facing, it all translates into a system that seems to work so well. Truly amazes me!
I know that the Indiana Audubon Society is involved in banding snow owls every year but I don’t know much more than that. I really should look into it.
That sounds very interesting, being Snowy Owls. They are a rare sighting for us in the winter. So far, we have not had a SO sighting this season, I hope we do and it’s not too far from me. My goodness, they are absolutely gorgeous!
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Would you believe I actually got a pic of one way back when I first started taking photos almost 10 years ago? It was quite by accident and it is an awful photo but I’ve kept it anyway. 😂
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Awesome! I’ve had three distant encounters with SOs and I kept all my photos too. hehe
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I truly love this encounter and the connection with the banding data, makes me feel good to have been able to help with the banding program. How cool to have your banded Eagle locally and know where it’s from! We learn so much from the banding program. 🙂
In Maltese history there was a time when we were under the realm of the king of spain. As a rent the knights paid by sending a peregrine falcon each year. One such falcon escaped from spain and returned back to Malta.
How exciting to hear back from Fish and Game! I hope she lives a long, long, life! They’re also exciting to see. I haven’t very often. Gorgeous images of her, Donna. I loved the one showing you her bands. 😀
I thought it was pretty cool, made me feel good to have made a connection with the banding program. And her showing me the bands, lol, I got lucky on that shot! I have seen a Peregrine Falcon a few other times at the refuge and I wonder if it’s her. 🙂
Westborough may not be where it was born, just the address of the bander. These days there are many peregrines nesting on tall buildings in Springfield and UMASS in Amherst, as well as Boston. Westborough is about mid-state. Steve (above) and I live closer to the Connecticut River to the west.
I wondered if by chance that might be the bander’s address and not the birth area. Thanks for info, Eliza! I have seen a Peregrine Falcon flying at my refuge in past weeks, I wonder if it is still her. 🙂
Thank you, Tom, I agree! I feel good being a small part of it too. This is the second banded bird I’ve reported. Previous time was in 2021 with a Brown Pelican I photographed in Everglades City, Florida, it was born & banded in 2016 in North Carolina.
So the Peregrine Falcon was less than a year old when you found her. How amazing that she was already 375 miles away from her birthplace! Thank you for doing your part to help scientists studying these birds. Your pictures are amazing! I wonder why there are bands on both legs?
Thank you, Barbara! I feel good about being able to be a small part of such a huge program. As to the two bands, the silver one is a federal bank ID that many birds receive, the second is the falcon band on the other leg. One reason on separate legs is in case one band/leg is lost in a mishap. I’ve seen many small birds in photos with three tiny bands! All in the help in getting specific on that one bird’s identity, combining info on all bands gives it a greater chance to being able to ID. 🙂 Amazing!
Thanks for the update – I am always fascinated with the results of the bands I submit – never know where they are going to be from! This one is a fine specimen.
How cool is this! We have a tagged Bald Eagle here who was hatched in Channel Islands National Park as part of a successful bald eagle reintroduction program.
So interesting and must be quite the challenge to keep up with all that have been banded.
It is quite remarkable how the banding program is done, the number of bands, the band(s) color(s), the numbers, the letters, what direction the letter is facing, it all translates into a system that seems to work so well. Truly amazes me!
I know that the Indiana Audubon Society is involved in banding snow owls every year but I don’t know much more than that. I really should look into it.
That sounds very interesting, being Snowy Owls. They are a rare sighting for us in the winter. So far, we have not had a SO sighting this season, I hope we do and it’s not too far from me. My goodness, they are absolutely gorgeous!
Would you believe I actually got a pic of one way back when I first started taking photos almost 10 years ago? It was quite by accident and it is an awful photo but I’ve kept it anyway. 😂
Awesome! I’ve had three distant encounters with SOs and I kept all my photos too. hehe
I truly love this encounter and the connection with the banding data, makes me feel good to have been able to help with the banding program. How cool to have your banded Eagle locally and know where it’s from! We learn so much from the banding program. 🙂
This is great news. The stories each bird could tell, I hope you get a response from a person in Massachusetts!
Thank you, Jane! Oh, I’d love to hear those stories the birds could tell us too!!
Very interesting.
I think so too!
In Maltese history there was a time when we were under the realm of the king of spain. As a rent the knights paid by sending a peregrine falcon each year. One such falcon escaped from spain and returned back to Malta.
Birds’ instincts are powerful!
How exciting to hear back from Fish and Game! I hope she lives a long, long, life! They’re also exciting to see. I haven’t very often. Gorgeous images of her, Donna. I loved the one showing you her bands. 😀
I thought it was pretty cool, made me feel good to have made a connection with the banding program. And her showing me the bands, lol, I got lucky on that shot! I have seen a Peregrine Falcon a few other times at the refuge and I wonder if it’s her. 🙂
Very nice Donna!
Thank you, Reed!
How cool! Westborough is inland but of course they do hang about lakes too. I’m a good distance from there…@50 miles.
Thank you, Array! It’s pretty amazing to find out where a bird goes in its travels.
Westborough may not be where it was born, just the address of the bander. These days there are many peregrines nesting on tall buildings in Springfield and UMASS in Amherst, as well as Boston. Westborough is about mid-state. Steve (above) and I live closer to the Connecticut River to the west.
I wondered if by chance that might be the bander’s address and not the birth area. Thanks for info, Eliza! I have seen a Peregrine Falcon flying at my refuge in past weeks, I wonder if it is still her. 🙂
Glorious pictures. It is good to see the banding program at work.
Thank you, Tom, I agree! I feel good being a small part of it too. This is the second banded bird I’ve reported. Previous time was in 2021 with a Brown Pelican I photographed in Everglades City, Florida, it was born & banded in 2016 in North Carolina.
Bravo! Now I declare you the Falcon Lady. 👍
Thank you, HJ! 😁
So nice that you could help to follow up this banded peregrine falcon – nice work Donna !
Thank you, Rudi!!
Congratulations on finding this beautiful , banded bird.
Thank you, Sandy, makes me feel good to be able to help the program!
Good on ya’, Donna! It made me smile to think that the banding was from nearby Westborough, MA. Hurrah for a small world!
-Julie
Thank you, Julie! So cool to have a falcon from your neck of the woods checking out my neck of the woods!!!
So the Peregrine Falcon was less than a year old when you found her. How amazing that she was already 375 miles away from her birthplace! Thank you for doing your part to help scientists studying these birds. Your pictures are amazing! I wonder why there are bands on both legs?
Thank you, Barbara! I feel good about being able to be a small part of such a huge program. As to the two bands, the silver one is a federal bank ID that many birds receive, the second is the falcon band on the other leg. One reason on separate legs is in case one band/leg is lost in a mishap. I’ve seen many small birds in photos with three tiny bands! All in the help in getting specific on that one bird’s identity, combining info on all bands gives it a greater chance to being able to ID. 🙂 Amazing!
Thanks for the update – I am always fascinated with the results of the bands I submit – never know where they are going to be from! This one is a fine specimen.
Thank you! This is my second band report with results for me, it is pretty cool!
Terrific program and shots, Donna!
Thank you, Belinda!