Manitoba Peregrines > UND, Grand Forks, North Dakota

UND Tower - 2015 / Marv & Terminator

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The Peregrine Chick:
I have a photo of Marv as an adult somewhere I think, will check when I'm home this evening.

Alison:
I hope that someone will be able to take photos of Marv this year in his adult plumage.

He was a handsome juvie, and I'm sure he is a very handsome tiercel.

Photo of Marv in 2014 by Dave Lambeth.

Alison:
Part IV

Peregrine Falcon Facts

Other amazing information about peregrine falcons:

• Peregrines are among the fastest creatures alive. They are capable of sustained flight of 50 to 60 mph. In short bursts, they can reach more than 80 mph, and in hunting dives, they've been timed at more than 200 mph.

• Peregrines are the most cosmopolitan of all birds. They occur on every continent except Antarctica and on every other substantial land mass except New Zealand and Antarctica.

• Peregrine falcons do not build nests. Rather, they use scrapes or ledges on cliffs, or in Grand Forks and other cities, nest boxes placed by humans.

• Peregrines that nest in the Arctic typically migrate, sometimes as far as southern South America and southern Africa. Yet other peregrines are essentially sedentary. Peregrines in coastal California are so regular that birders are pretty much certain to see them any day of the year. Falcons that breed in Britain seldom leave the islands, but Scandinavian falcons spend winters in southeastern Britain.

• Generations of falcon families use the same nesting site, called an eyrie. One such site in Scotland has been occupied continuously since the 13th century.

• There are about 20 subspecies of peregrines, but blood lines have become mixed during the recovery effort, when Arctic birds were bred to other subspecies from around the world.

• The peregrine and its close relatives were regarded as manifestations of divinity in ancient Egypt, and the pharaoh was closely identified with the figure of a falcon and with the falcon-headed god named Horus.

• In the current bestselling book "H is for Hawk," Helen Macdonald writes, "In ancient shamanic traditions right across Eurasia hawks and falcons were seen as messengers between this world and the next." The role of hawks and falcons in Celtic myth and in British history, is a subtext of her book.

• The peregrine falcon has been a favorite of falconers for millennia, probably beginning in Mesopotamia and China. In Europe, Frederick II of Hohenstaufen, king of Germany, Sicily and Italy and Holy Roman emperor, thought highly of the falcon and devoted much of his treatise "On the Art of Falconry" to peregrines. It was written before 1248.

Peregrine names

Not everyone thinks wild creatures should have names—but naming them makes them easier to keep track of, and tracking peregrines is an important part of understanding how they behave.

The falcons also are banded—twice. One is a silver band issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This bears a number, but it's not visible at a distance, so a second, colored band is added. Lettering and the color pattern are unique to each bird and allow it to be identified.

The names make it easier to remember the birds, an essential part of keeping track of them.

Names are arbitrary, but Tim Driscoll, responsible for banding the Grand Forks falcons, has adopted a naming protocol. He chooses names that have local significance.

For example, falcons have been named for outdoor enthusiasts such as state Sen. Stella Fritzell, a prominent conservation advocate, Frances Kannowski, longtime director of the Grand Forks Park Board, and Eve Freeberg, an enthusiastic local birder. Some are named for historical characters, such as Alexander, for Alexander Griggs, founder of the city, and Anson, for Anson Northrup, pioneer of steam boating on the Red River. Since the move to the UND campus, names from its history have been chosen, George for George Starcher, longtime UND president, and Lux and Lex for the twin virtues celebrated in the university's motto. Some names are whimsical, such as Smiley, named for the water tower where he was born, and some are personal, including Ansel, whom Driscoll named for his father.

Marv, the male of the current pair, was fledged in Fargo and named for a local broadcasting personality.

Terminator, raised in Brandon, Man., was named, presumably, for the peregrine's legendary hunting prowess.

http://www.grandforksherald.com/outdoors/3715273-always-season-peregrines-grand-forks-belong-amazing-story-recovery

dupre501:
What a thorough article. Thanks for sharing that one Alison. :D
And a nice photo of Smiley as a juvenile.

Alison:
Part III

Grand Forks Peregrine Timeline

Here is a look at the history of peregrines in Grand Forks, based on information from local raptor expert Tim Driscoll:

• 2005: An adult male spent the summer on the Smiley water tower. A box was placed on the east walkway of the tower in September.

• 2007: Bear, a male raised in Fargo, attempted to attract a mate. A female spent time at the tower, but no mating occurred.

• 2008: Bear and Terminator nested on the tower. Their only fledgling, Ozzie, was electrocuted on July 18.

• 2009: Bear didn't return, but another Fargo-raised male, Roosevelt, mated with Terminator. They fledged three young: Smiley, a male, and females named Alice and Ethel. Ethel was found dead on July 26. Alice was seen attempting to breed in Brandon, Man., in 2010 and 2011. In 2012, Smiley mated with a female named Princess. They raised two females on the Radisson Hotel in downtown Winnipeg. Smiley returned to the hotel earlier this year. In Grand Forks, the water tower called "Smiley" was demolished in the fall of 2009. The nest box was moved to UND's water tower about a mile farther west and on the north side of the BNSF tracks.

• 2010: Terminator and Roosevelt showed up at the new location where they raised three young—a male named Clifford and females named Lux and Lex. Their fates are not known.

• 2011: Terminator and Roosevelt came back for a third year together and fledged three young—a male named Ansel and females named Eve and Beverley. Eve was hurt in a fight over territory in St. Paul, received treatment at The Raptor Center there, and was released in Alexandria, Minn., in 2013. In 2014, she raised four young in Minneapolis.

• 2012: Terminator and Roosevelt were back and raised three young—males named Walsh and Alexander, and a female named Frances. Frances was found dead on Aug. 20. Walsh was seen in Sioux Falls, S.D., on April 20, 2014.

• 2013: Terminator showed up, but Roosevelt did not return. Instead, Terminator mated with an unbanded male, and they fledged three young—males named George and Anson and a female named Stella. Stella was found on the UND campus unable to fly. Later, George was found flightless near the city lagoon northwest of town. Both were treated at The Raptor Center, recovered and were released into the wild.

• 2014: Terminator returned—but she had to wait until late April for a mate, Marv, her fourth. He was a youngster, fledged in Fargo in 2013. Mating so young is unusual. Despite his youth and their late start, Terminator and Marv raised two young, females named Maya and Myra.

• 2015: Marv returned on March 9, Terminator on March 29. All indications are that they intend to raise another family in Grand Forks.

In total, peregrines have nested seven years in Grand Forks, laid 24 eggs and fledged 18 young. Three are known to be dead—Ozzie, Ethel and Frances. That means 15 peregrines fledged in Grand Forks may be living in the wild. Eight are females and seven are males. At least two of them have been seen attempting to attract mates, one in Brandon, Man., and one in Sioux Falls, S.D.

Two of the Grand Forks fledglings are known to be parents. Eve raised four young in Minneapolis, and Smiley raised two young in Winnipeg, both in 2014.

Of interest: Bear and Roosevelt, successive mates of Terminator, were brothers but not nest mates. They were sons of the same parents, named Dakota Ace and Frieda, but they were born in different years.

Grand Forks peregrines are migratory, usually arriving in March or early April and leaving in mid-September. It's not known exactly where they spend the winter. Peregrines from Fargo have been seen on the Gulf Coast of Texas.

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