Is there a specific reason you are asking about his bands?
I was just wondering if he is buried with his bands, or would go to another chick.
I'm thinking it wouldn't be very good luck for the new chick if you gave them another chicks bands. Since I've been following the falcons with you, the year Hurricane was born that was 2007 right? There hasn't been any chicks that have died around fledge time except for Mac and Kenzie in Brandon and I forgot to ask these questions then.
No the bands aren't recycled, every bird gets its own unique identity forever.
And you are right, Mac and Kenzie were the first two chicks lost at/shortly after fledging in a few years ... did a little looking and found the following were fledge-related mortality for all the wild-hatched nests we have had since 1989
2006 - the Little Daredevil (Radisson) died the morning after he fledged just like Fyfe
1997 - 1 male (Radisson) - collided with the old Eaton's building downtown *
1996 - 1 male (Prov Leg) - collision at Portage & Spence
1995 - 1 female (Brandon) - collided with McKenzie Seeds Building
1994 - 1 female (Radisson) - collided with Trizec Building - this was the last year we had an east-side nestbox because of the collision risk at Portage & Main
1993 - 1 male (Radisson) - collided with building (not sure which one) at Portage & Main
1992 - 1 female foster chick (Radisson) - collided with Canada Post Building twice - one on first fledge, again when released after a month in rehab
1989 - 1 male (Radisson) - collided with then fell down Eaton's smokestack *
* old Eaton's Building is where the MTS Centre is now; Eaton's smokestack is still standing it is just to the south from the spot where Fyfe died.
22 years, 6 successful nestsites, 126 chicks wild-hatched chicks, only 11 have died within 14 days of fledging. A couple more died within a month of fledging but their deaths weren't related to poor flying ability, they died as a result of uncommon accidents.
