Author Topic: Ask the Peregrine Chick - How it Works  (Read 24150 times)

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Offline The Peregrine Chick

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Re: Ask the Peregrine Chick - How it Works
« Reply #53 on: April 05, 2021, 19:53 »
Hey GCG!

I'm trying to make sure I cross link to everything here on the forum so that the folks on the forum (arguably our most engaged) are in the loop on everything!
Hope this helps!
TPC

Thank you, TPC, for keeping the forum up to date.  It is the only place I regularly check.

That's what we were finding - some folks check everywhere most most folks have a go-to, so trying to post across them all with the same information or most of it at least. Makes it easier for me too frankly - still have to do the work but there is a pattern to circulating it.

Offline bcbird

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Re: Ask the Peregrine Chick - How it Works
« Reply #52 on: April 05, 2021, 19:46 »
Hey GCG!

I'm trying to make sure I cross link to everything here on the forum so that the folks on the forum (arguably our most engaged) are in the loop on everything!
Hope this helps!
TPC

Thank you, TPC, for keeping the forum up to date.  It is the only place I regularly check.

Offline The Peregrine Chick

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Re: Ask the Peregrine Chick - How it Works
« Reply #51 on: April 05, 2021, 12:20 »
Hey GCG!

We had a little flurry of returns just before and just after the crazy weather we got here last week.  We have are using the forum, the blog and twitter to keep folks up to-date - and I'm trying to make sure I cross link to everything here on the forum so that the folks on the forum (arguably our most engaged) are in the loop on everything!  I'm sure there will be bugs to work out using all three platforms again but got to start somewhere :)

Hope this helps!
TPC

Offline GCG

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Re: Ask the Peregrine Chick - How it Works
« Reply #50 on: March 27, 2021, 11:15 »
What is the latest date of our returning PF's? Is there a chance of having more nests than our Radisson returnees? Thanks!

« Last Edit: March 27, 2021, 14:00 by GCG »

Offline birdcamfan

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Re: Ask the Peregrine Chick - How it Works
« Reply #49 on: July 04, 2013, 20:21 »
I didn't know that tape was still used. Too bad it is so difficult to convert. Learn something new every day.

Offline The Peregrine Chick

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Re: Ask the Peregrine Chick - How it Works
« Reply #48 on: July 03, 2013, 23:32 »
That will be good to see a banding video for this year. I seem to recall that there was supposedly one for last year but it was never posted on the forum.  Will that one be available to watch also?   :-X

I hope so!  We have tape from both the 2012 McKenzie Seeds and Radisson bandings but CBC couldn't convert them for whatever reason so I did look for someone last year but didn't have much luck.  Depending on the equipment we will be using this year, it might be on tape in which case I will continue with my hunt or it might be in digital format which could make it much quicker/easier to post.

Offline RCF

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Re: Ask the Peregrine Chick - How it Works
« Reply #47 on: July 03, 2013, 19:35 »
Quote
We will be banding the 3 McKenzie Seeds chicks on Friday, July 5th - time to be confirmed. 

Eye-Spy usually films our bandings to stream live but he will not be able to join us this year. 

Because we don't want to risk screwing up the streaming from the window cam,
we will likely not be streaming live rather we will have a video available
as soon as we can get the recording converted.

Will confirm the banding time shortly.

That will be good to see a banding video for this year. I seem to recall that there was supposedly one for last year but it was never posted on the forum.  Will that one be available to watch also?   :-X

Offline Dagny

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Re: Ask the Peregrine Chick - How it Works
« Reply #46 on: July 03, 2013, 19:21 »
Thank you, TFC, you did answer my questions.

Offline The Peregrine Chick

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Re: Ask the Peregrine Chick - How it Works
« Reply #45 on: July 03, 2013, 16:15 »
This is my first season watching the falcon cams.  I've seen the larger Radisson chick trying to get up onto the ledge.  My questions are: does a chick ever fall off the ledge?  If it does, can a parent retrieve it and put it back or is it lost?   ???

Our peregrines (Falco peregrinus anatum) have evolved to nest on cliff ledges, most of which are much smaller and narrower than the ledge they are currently occupying.  As a result, the chicks are hard-wired not to fall.  So to answer your question, no chicks don't, as a rule, fall from the nest boxes or nest ledges prior to fledging (taking their first flights).  The longer they stay on the ledge, the more time they have to strengthen their wing muscles so that when they do take that first step off the building (either on purpose or by accident) then better their chance of surviving the first 24 hours after fledging and then the first 10 days of fledging.

The only time we have ever had a chick "fall" before fledging (first flight) age, was when one had a cerebral accident (like a stroke) and parts of its brain started to die.  When the necrosis reached the chick's balance centre in the brain, the chick literally lost it's ability to keep itself upright (standing or sitting) and it's confusion, it got too close to the edge of the box and it toppled over the edge and fell to it's death.  Sounds terrible but actually given what was happening its brain, it was probably a more human way to die than say waiting until the necrosis had reached the breathing centre at which point the chick would have lost the ability to breathe which would I figure would have been a much less humane way to die. 

To answer the second part, no, at this age there is not much an adult can do to help the chick - as you can see on the webcams, the chicks are the size of their fathers and the female chicks are close to their mother's size already. 

The closer the chicks get to fledging age, the safer they will be - in part because they will be larger and stronger, in part because they will be more comfortable sitting on the edge of the ledge and on the drain cover which will (hopefully) help them to be wiser and they will fledge when they are ready not because they got too excited and fledged earlier than they could have/should have.  Not much we humans can do about it other than to keep our fingers crossed.

Hope that answers your questions Dagny  :)

Offline Dagny

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Re: Ask the Peregrine Chick - How it Works
« Reply #44 on: July 03, 2013, 13:07 »
This is my first season watching the falcon cams.  I've seen the larger Radisson chick trying to get up onto the ledge.  My questions are: does a chick ever fall off the ledge?  If it does, can a parent retrieve it and put it back or is it lost?   ???

Offline newchick

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Re: Ask the Peregrine Chick - How it Works
« Reply #43 on: May 22, 2013, 13:30 »
Hi Tracey,

Noticed the posting on the Hatch Watch.

When is day 27 for our Radisson Chicks?  And have you noticed if Ivy/Princess have given indications such as being restless, to let us know that our little fuzzy chicks are soon to arrive?

Have posted all the dates on the Radisson thread Newchick - think we were posting simultaneously!  :D

Thanks Tracey!

Offline The Peregrine Chick

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Re: Ask the Peregrine Chick - How it Works
« Reply #42 on: May 22, 2013, 10:21 »
Hi Tracey,

Noticed the posting on the Hatch Watch.

When is day 27 for our Radisson Chicks?  And have you noticed if Ivy/Princess have given indications such as being restless, to let us know that our little fuzzy chicks are soon to arrive?

Have posted all the dates on the Radisson thread Newchick - think we were posting simultaneously!  :D

Offline newchick

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Re: Ask the Peregrine Chick - How it Works
« Reply #41 on: May 22, 2013, 09:58 »
Hi Tracey,

Noticed the posting on the Hatch Watch.

When is day 27 for our Radisson Chicks?  And have you noticed if Ivy/Princess have given indications such as being restless, to let us know that our little fuzzy chicks are soon to arrive?

Offline MayShowers

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Re: Ask the Peregrine Chick - How it Works
« Reply #40 on: May 21, 2013, 19:11 »
Yes thank you TPC

Offline The Peregrine Chick

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Re: Ask the Peregrine Chick - How it Works
« Reply #39 on: May 21, 2013, 16:28 »
This might be a silly question, but I was wondering how age of chicks comes into consideration when it comes to banding them.  Today the chick (Zoom) at Columbus was banded and the four chicks at Pennsylvania were also banded but there is a considerable age difference between them.  I think Zoom is around 21 days old and the four chicks are around 30 days old.  (I'm sorry if this was asked and answered previously).

Age at banding is usually between 21 and 25 days because a) the chicks' feet are full grown by this stage and b) they can't fly and don't think of even trying to fly.  Doesn't mean you can't band them when they are older, you can band them anytime, but you have to then be aware that they can/could/will try to get away.  We've had chicks fledge successfully at 32 days of age (they were solos).  It may be that they couldn't band the PA chicks until later, sometimes logistics just get in the way.  Also, most of the PA chicks were females, which mean they would be fledging later which gives the bander a bit of a buffer, males are the ones you have to watch out for at the 30+ day mark.

Hope that helps ...

Offline MayShowers

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Re: Ask the Peregrine Chick - How it Works
« Reply #38 on: May 21, 2013, 16:01 »
This might be a silly question, but I was wondering how age of chicks comes into consideration when it comes to banding them.  Today the chick (Zoom) at Columbus was banded and the four chicks at Pennsylvania were also banded but there is a considerable age difference between them.  I think Zoom is around 21 days old and the four chicks are around 30 days old.  (I'm sorry if this was asked and answered previously).

Offline Kinderchick

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Re: Ask the Peregrine Chick - How it Works
« Reply #37 on: December 29, 2012, 22:05 »
Yes, hope you are well soon, TPC.

Offline susha

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Re: Ask the Peregrine Chick - How it Works
« Reply #36 on: December 29, 2012, 22:04 »

have been battling a chest cold so not quite as quick as usual right now  :P




Speedy recovery TPC!

Offline GCG

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Re: Ask the Peregrine Chick - How it Works
« Reply #35 on: December 29, 2012, 05:39 »
I look forward to this. Speedy recovery from that chest cold. Happy New year and good health in 2013.

Offline The Peregrine Chick

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Re: Ask the Peregrine Chick - How it Works
« Reply #34 on: December 28, 2012, 14:41 »
TPC, I hope you had a very Merry Christmas. Getting very close to 2013. Can you say when maintenance will happen? How long? And most importantly, when we will see the countdown? Happy New Year!

Don't know that I will need to shut down the Forum for maintenance this year as traffic for the last month has been pretty quiet.  So long as the quiet continues, I should have everything updated and cleaned up in January.

As for the countdown timer, I will post a notice when its up and running.  Couple of updates to the website and the timer is included in those updates.  Probably around New Years ... would like to have it up and running on New Year's but have been battling a chest cold so not quite as quick as usual right now  :P

Have some new coding for the countdown timer which I'm also going to see if it will work here on the Forum, no guarantees but maybe ...

Offline GCG

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Re: Ask the Peregrine Chick - How it Works
« Reply #33 on: December 28, 2012, 14:17 »
TPC, I hope you had a very Merry Christmas. Getting very close to 2013. Can you say when maintenance will happen? How long? And most importantly, when we will see the countdown? Happy New Year!

Offline newchick

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Re: Ask the Peregrine Chick - How it Works
« Reply #32 on: August 18, 2012, 19:29 »
Hi Tracey, just a curious thought.  Now that day light hours have been decreasing, and the temperature too.  Will our PF's be leaving us soon for a warmer/more southern climate?

Offline des

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Re: Ask the Peregrine Chick - How it Works
« Reply #31 on: July 17, 2012, 20:32 »
Sorry TPC, not a question, but it is such fine praise of the peregrine and its hunting, that I wanted to add it where it was close to the conversation about "ours" providing food.

Offline des

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Re: Ask the Peregrine Chick - How it Works
« Reply #30 on: July 17, 2012, 20:29 »
From P.A. Taverner's 1940 edition of Birds of Canada

I love this quote:

"An accomplished killer of wild fowl, the Peregrine is a thorough sportsman in its hunting, and captures its game by direct irresistible attack, or straight pursuit, instead of craft surprise, and, as a sportsman and an historical character, can claim some indulgence from human rivals.  There should be enough game in this country to support so picturesque a character without arousing the jealousy of other hunters."
« Last Edit: July 17, 2012, 20:36 by des »

Offline Jo

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Re: Ask the Peregrine Chick - How it Works
« Reply #29 on: July 14, 2012, 20:13 »

 the Radisson chicks do get fed more but that's not because they need more, its because Ivy's a killing machine.  Mostly chicks are a little hungry at times during the day.  At the Radisson, we have chicks burping and waddling away from food - that is not the norm. 

Great description of the feeding schedule at the Radisson. They certainly were well fed. ;)

Offline newchick

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Re: Ask the Peregrine Chick - How it Works
« Reply #28 on: July 14, 2012, 16:28 »
Thanks Tracey!

Offline The Peregrine Chick

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Re: Ask the Peregrine Chick - How it Works
« Reply #27 on: July 14, 2012, 14:56 »
Hey Tracey, this morning I spotted a Falcon in the Silver Heights area it was perched in an ornamental plum tree, I also spotted a sparrow. So, curious if the Falcon may have been eyeing up the sparrow for lunch. :D  Unsure if it was just a sparrow hawk, or a juvie Peregrine Falcon (I Don't think they could fly this far, they still are quite young.)  But, had similar brown markings like our Juvie Peregrines.

The bird you were looking at sounds like a Merlin falcon.  They are urban nesting birds that mostly look like juvenile peregrines, just smaller.  And they sound like peregrines just a bit higher in pitch.  They don't build nests, rather they take over old crows' nests in the spring.  Their chicks look just like peregrine chicks, incubation and development patterns are the same, usually just a bit shorter.  They don't hunt entirely like the peregrines because they hunt closer to the trees and ground.  They are woodland specialists and are very cool to watch.

Offline newchick

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Re: Ask the Peregrine Chick - How it Works
« Reply #26 on: July 14, 2012, 14:11 »
Hey Tracey, this morning I spotted a Falcon in the Silver Heights area it was perched in an ornamental plum tree, I also spotted a sparrow. So, curious if the Falcon may have been eyeing up the sparrow for lunch. :D  Unsure if it was just a sparrow hawk, or a juvie Peregrine Falcon (I Don't think they could fly this far, they still are quite young.)  But, had similar brown markings like our Juvie Peregrines.

Offline susha

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Re: Ask the Peregrine Chick - How it Works
« Reply #25 on: June 21, 2012, 10:57 »
And I think that that amazing lineage is showing itself in these four fine young birds who are almost ready to take off! :)

Offline bcbird

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Re: Ask the Peregrine Chick - How it Works
« Reply #24 on: June 21, 2012, 10:30 »
Why yes, yes I am.
I also appreciate the lineage echoed in the names you have given the males.

Offline The Peregrine Chick

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Re: Ask the Peregrine Chick - How it Works
« Reply #23 on: June 21, 2012, 10:23 »
In personality, Ivy is pretty laid back which is something that Trey was most definitely not.  Ivy's protective, but not in the bloodthirsty way that Trey and most certainly not like Trey's Dad/Ivy's Granddad T-Rex was.
So who is Ivy like, he's not really like anyone I'm afraid ... he just doing his own thing his own way.

Ivy is simply showing us another manifestation of the fabulous genetic heritage of his illustrious forebears.

Phan are we?  ;) ;D

Offline bcbird

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Re: Ask the Peregrine Chick - How it Works
« Reply #22 on: June 21, 2012, 10:20 »
In personality, Ivy is pretty laid back which is something that Trey was most definitely not.  Ivy's protective, but not in the bloodthirsty way that Trey and most certainly not like Trey's Dad/Ivy's Granddad T-Rex was.
So who is Ivy like, he's not really like anyone I'm afraid ... he just doing his own thing his own way.

Ivy is simply showing us another manifestation of the fabulous genetic heritage of his illustrious forebears.

Offline The Peregrine Chick

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Re: Ask the Peregrine Chick - How it Works
« Reply #21 on: June 20, 2012, 22:14 »
"Ivy's a killing machine."  I think that is interesting, too, Liz. 
TPC, which of his illustrious forebears does Ivy most resemble in that regard?
LOL! I'm thinking he must take after his dad, Trey! ;)

Actually Trey was a good provider, but not like Ivy.  Not sure we have ever had a male who provides so much food for his kids, and for Princess because often the kids don't finish it off.

In personality, Ivy is pretty laid back which is something that Trey was most definitely not.  Ivy's protective, but not in the bloodthirsty way that Trey and most certainly not like Trey's Dad/Ivy's Granddad T-Rex was.

So who is Ivy like, he's not really like anyone I'm afraid ... he just doing his own thing his own way.

Offline Kinderchick

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Re: Ask the Peregrine Chick - How it Works
« Reply #20 on: June 20, 2012, 21:58 »
"Ivy's a killing machine."  I think that is interesting, too, Liz. 
TPC, which of his illustrious forebears does Ivy most resemble in that regard?
LOL! I'm thinking he must take after his dad, Trey! ;)

Offline bcbird

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Re: Ask the Peregrine Chick - How it Works
« Reply #19 on: June 20, 2012, 21:51 »
"Ivy's a killing machine."  I think that is interesting, too, Liz. 

TPC, which of his illustrious forebears does Ivy most resemble in that regard?

Offline birdbrain

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Re: Ask the Peregrine Chick - How it Works
« Reply #18 on: June 20, 2012, 21:03 »
Thanks for the prompt answer!  That is interesting that at the Radisson they had too much food.  I had noticed chicks pecking at left over food and wondered why they didn't eat it when it came, now I have my answer.  Who would have thought wild birds would have problems with left overs?!

Offline Liz

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Re: Ask the Peregrine Chick - How it Works
« Reply #17 on: June 20, 2012, 20:06 »
"Ivy's a killing machine"  hahaha  I didn't know that.  And I'm glad to have the reminder on the other points - great question, birdbrain.  :)

Offline The Peregrine Chick

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Re: Ask the Peregrine Chick - How it Works
« Reply #16 on: June 20, 2012, 18:04 »
Hello,  I have been wondering, the Brandon parents seem much more distant than the Radission parents.  It also appears to me (with my limited experience) that the chicks are growing at a slower rate.  Is that right?  Is there any evidence to support the idea that chicks with more involved or present parents mature faster?  Do you have any concern at all for the Brandon chicks?

The simple answer is "no".  Every pair is different in their parenting and Hurricane and Brooklyn are doing fine and their chicks look fine for their age.  Remember, they are three weeks behind the Radisson birds, which in a chick's life is the difference between a toddler and a teenager.  Compounding that is that the Brandon chicks have hit the 10 day mark and can thermoregulate on their own and the parents know it, so unless there is a need, the chicks don't need them and the so the adults are always nearby, just not in the box with them.

One of the things that makes it seem that the Brandon pair are more "distant" is that you've got two ends of a spectrum going right now - the Brandon pair and the Radisson pair almost couldn't be more different.  The Brandon pair share duties alot more through incubation and brooding so there is lots more on/off going on.  With the Radisson birds, it starts out Princess does more then Ivy gets to do more as time goes along in the incubating cycle, then the brooding cyle and now in the late teenager stage, you almost see Ivy more than you see Princess.  And yes, the Radisson chicks do get fed more but that's not because they need more, its because Ivy's a killing machine.  Mostly chicks are a little hungry at times during the day.  At the Radisson, we have chicks burping and waddling away from food - that is not the norm.  In previous years when we have banded the Brandon chicks they have been proper size and weight so there is no reason at this point for us to be worried about the chicks.  When we band them we'll be taking a close look at them and if there is anything to worry about, we'll take care of it.

Offline birdbrain

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Re: Ask the Peregrine Chick - How it Works
« Reply #15 on: June 20, 2012, 16:25 »
Hello,  I have been wondering, the Brandon parents seem much more distant than the Radission parents.  It also appears to me (with my limited experience) that the chicks are growing at a slower rate.  Is that right?  Is there any evidence to support the idea that chicks with more involved or present parents mature faster?  Do you have any concern at all for the Brandon chicks?

Offline The Peregrine Chick

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Re: Ask the Peregrine Chick - How it Works
« Reply #14 on: May 23, 2012, 12:25 »
What is the relationship between the peregrines and crows/ravens?


Antagonistic.  The peregrines won't tolerate crows/ravens in the area immediately around the nestsite.  Usually the peregrines win since for them its location, location, location.  With the ravens and crows, location is nice but they can build elsewhere.  Mostly its a question of timing - if the ravens/crows have chicks, they won't move but they do tend to nest early so the overlap can be rather short and they peregrines are able to drive out the entire family (kids included) and take over the site.  That is a general statement, can't say that I know about any less-than-antagonistic crow/raven-peregrine relationships, but also can't say that there haven't been the occasional aberation.

Offline birdnut

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Re: Ask the Peregrine Chick - How it Works
« Reply #13 on: May 23, 2012, 10:41 »
What is the relationship between the peregrines and crows/ravens?

Offline birdcamfan

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Re: Ask the Peregrine Chick - How it Works
« Reply #12 on: May 12, 2012, 06:59 »
Thank you. Nothing I read described the anatomical difference that makes this possible. The first time I saw a tiny stone owl eat a mouse whole I panicked thinking that there was no way that could happen. Great explanation. Thanks again.

Offline The Peregrine Chick

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Re: Ask the Peregrine Chick - How it Works
« Reply #11 on: May 11, 2012, 22:06 »
I understand the anatomy but if it looks equivalent to what I imagine a human would look like if they tried to swallow their pet dog whole! Doesn't it occlude their airway?

If you check out the relative size in the diagram, a bird's airway and throat (simple terms) are much larger than ours.  That and the mouth is only so big, they aren't like snakes and a few other reptiles who can "dislocate" their jaws in order to eat much larger prey.  And if something is larger/longer than they can manage, they hack it up ... watch this year when the chicks eat a leg and the foot is sticking out their mouth because the leg is longer than the distance between their mouth and the bottom of their crop.  Takes a bit of manuevering but they get it out and generally don't try it again.  Could there ever be tragic results from lets say, errors in judgement?  Probably, but that's part of the evolutionary process I'm afraid.

Offline birdcamfan

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Re: Ask the Peregrine Chick - How it Works
« Reply #10 on: May 11, 2012, 21:09 »
I understand the anatomy but if it looks equivalent to what I imagine a human would look like if they tried to swallow their pet dog whole! Doesn't it occlude their airway?

Offline The Peregrine Chick

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Re: Ask the Peregrine Chick - How it Works
« Reply #9 on: May 11, 2012, 19:06 »
TPC, I hope you can answer this question which is about owls (Sorry, I know this is a PF site). I have looked everywhere for the answer but have not been able to find it. I have watched owls choke down their prey basically whole. Even the chicks seem able to swallow something that is only slightly smaller than themselves. It sometimes takes up to a minute. How do they do this and breathe at the same time??

Same way you can breathe and chew at the same time  :)  The esophagus leads to the crop and their airways are totally separate.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ea/PigeonAnatomy.png
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bird_anatomy)

Hope this helps, or at least is a start ...

Offline birdcamfan

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Re: Ask the Peregrine Chick - How it Works
« Reply #8 on: May 11, 2012, 18:52 »
TPC, I hope you can answer this question which is about owls (Sorry, I know this is a PF site). I have looked everywhere for the answer but have not been able to find it. I have watched owls choke down their prey basically whole. Even the chicks seem able to swallow something that is only slightly smaller than themselves. It sometimes takes up to a minute. How do they do this and breathe at the same time??

Offline RCF

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Re: Ask the Peregrine Chick - How it Works
« Reply #7 on: May 11, 2012, 17:12 »
??? Hello TPC, I read this on the CBC site. Thought you could respond to this inquiry. With respect, I haven't a clue.  :-* 

Fort Rouge wrote:Posted 2012/05/11
at 3:50 PM ETHi!
I work in the Fort Rouge area & I'm 98.5% sure that we have a set of peregrine falcon's. The nest is setup high in a tree (very large nest) along the Red River. I'm pretty sure she has already laid her eggs & they to should be hatching anyday. The nest is approximatelyi located at the end of the walk thru, between 376 Osborne St and 360 Osborne St
 Thanks!

I saw that too and posted about it on the CBC Falcon Cam thread.

http://www.species-at-risk.mb.ca/projects/pfrp/forum/programs/index.php/topic,3131.msg84988.html#msg84988

Offline GCG

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Re: Ask the Peregrine Chick - How it Works
« Reply #6 on: May 11, 2012, 16:54 »
 ??? Hello TPC, I read this on the CBC site. Thought you could respond to this inquiry. With respect, I haven't a clue.  :-* 

Fort Rouge wrote:Posted 2012/05/11
at 3:50 PM ETHi!
I work in the Fort Rouge area & I'm 98.5% sure that we have a set of peregrine falcon's. The nest is setup high in a tree (very large nest) along the Red River. I'm pretty sure she has already laid her eggs & they to should be hatching anyday. The nest is approximatelyi located at the end of the walk thru, between 376 Osborne St and 360 Osborne St
 Thanks!

Offline newchick

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Re: Ask the Peregrine Chick - How it Works
« Reply #5 on: July 13, 2011, 11:45 »
 8) :'( It's been a "slice" as they say watching these beautiful birds.  It's such a great opportunity!  Thank you to all involved, and hope all the fledlings that are surviving do well.  Is Carson returning home soon before the "shut down" for this year.  Hope to hear/see them soon.

Offline Leana

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Re: Ask the Peregrine Chick - How it Works
« Reply #4 on: June 15, 2011, 15:20 »
Thank you for the info Tracy.  Actually I do think I remember reading it was based on foot size in years past. And to think with all the technology we have it all boils down to the size of a foot... ::)  .  They definitely need to grow into those big feet of theirs!

Offline The Peregrine Chick

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Re: Ask the Peregrine Chick - How it Works
« Reply #3 on: June 15, 2011, 13:24 »
OK... I'm going to ask a dumb question... I read the "Ask TPC" and didn't find an answer so here goes... When you band the chicks how do you tell if they are male or female? I don't know a lot about birds (obviously) so I'm asking straight up (although I might feel like an idiot when I hear the answer)...

Nothing wrong with the question Leana and though I'm sure its been answered somewhere, you looked in all the right places so no worries.  We sex the birds based on the size of their feet.  At 21-25 days of age, the chicks' feet and legs are full grown and because female peregrines are 1/3 larger than the males, their feet at banding age are larger too.  Usually you just have to glance at their feet to be able to tell which gender they are but in the last couple of years with Trey and Princess, there have been a female or two who we banded as females based on their foot/leg size - even when we measured them!  Hurricane in Brandon is one of those chicks - she measured easily as a male but she was obviously fooling us.  When birds that are sexed incorrectly at banding turn up to nesting somewhere or are sexed after injury or death, we take care to make sure everyone's records are corrected as well.

Does that help?
TPC

Offline Leana

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Re: Ask the Peregrine Chick - How it Works
« Reply #2 on: June 15, 2011, 13:14 »
OK... I'm going to ask a dumb question... I read the "Ask TPC" and didn't find an answer so here goes... When you band the chicks how do you tell if they are male or female? I don't know a lot about birds (obviously) so I'm asking straight up (although I might feel like an idiot when I hear the answer)...

Offline The Peregrine Chick

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Ask the Peregrine Chick - How it Works
« Reply #1 on: May 07, 2010, 18:01 »
If you have a question that doesn't seem to go somewhere else OR you don't know the Forum well enough to find the proper place a question, feel free to post it here.

How?

If you are new to the Forum click on the "Reply" button on the right side of your screen.  When the text box opens, type in your question then click on the "Save" button below.  It's just that simple.

If you are familiar with posting on the Forum, post your question as a "New Topic" and please make the "subject" self-explanatory.

PLEASE

check to see if the question has already been asked and answered.  If you have a follow-up question for an existing question/answer, feel free to post your question on the original post.
« Last Edit: January 16, 2011, 23:47 by The Peregrine Chick »