NE / Omaha - St Cecilia's - 2017

[Alison]

Orozco's mate in Omaha has now been identified. She is Chayton, banded black/red 17/Z, born at the American Century nest in Kansas City, Missouri.

When I looked at the band number, it was very familiar. Back in January, someone sent a photo of a bird they had seen outside an office building in Omaha to the Midwest Peregrine Society, asking who the bird was. The band number was 17/Z. She had been hanging out at the Mutual of Omaha building in midtown Omaha (not far from the Woodmen Tower). The Midwest Peregrine Society identified her as Chayton.

Also in January, there was a visitor to the Lincoln nest. This bird was thought to have been Chayton, checking out the area, but now I think it could also have been Orozco, making a visit to his birthplace.

I hope this new young pair will have a very successful year.

There is a photo of Chayton, and a different one of Orozco, at the link:

http://magazine.outdoornebraska.gov/2017/03/orozco-omaha-female-identified/

[Alison]

2017 NESTING SEASON

Some great news about Orozco, Alley and 19/K's son from 2015:

Peregrine falcon ‘Orozco’ lands in Omaha

“Orozco,” a male peregrine falcon hatched at the Nebraska Capitol in 2015, has been seen in Omaha, Game and Parks officials said Tuesday.

The falcon is named in honor of Omaha police officer Kerrie Orozco, who lost her life in the line of duty in May 2015.



Photo by Mike Benkis

Orozco is one of two falcons frequenting the north tower of St. Cecilia’s Cathedral in Omaha. Nature photographer Mike Benkis captured photographs of the pair that show at least one of the birds is banded, and confirm that this falcon is Orozco, based on the alphanumeric leg band that was placed on this falcon’s leg in May 2015.

The other falcon has not been identified.

Omaha police Sgt. Matt Manhart was one of four people to suggest the winning name in the annual name-the-chick contest. He thinks he knows why Orozco is in Omaha.

“She is watching over the citizens of Omaha and her brothers and sisters of the Omaha Police Department,” Manhart said.

State Sen. Kate Bolz, Amanda Horner and Rebecca McCoy, all of Lincoln, also suggested the name Orozco.

Orozco the falcon was last sighted in September 2015 at Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue. He is the sixth peregrine falcon hatched at the Nebraska Capitol that has been spotted as an adult away from its natal site.

It is suspected Orozco and his mate may be nesting at St. Cecilia’s Cathedral, which would be the third peregrine falcon nesting territory in Omaha and the fourth in the state.

Many peregrine falcons across the Midwest are banded as chicks shortly after hatching, including peregrine chicks banded by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission in Lincoln including peregrine chicks banded by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission in Lincoln and Omaha.

http://www.northplattebulletin.com/index.asp?show=news&action=readStory&storyID=33719&pageID=24