Photo: Peregrine Falcon, Richard Derevan/Audubon Photography Awards
National Park Service biologist, Rolf Gubler, will give a talk on March 1, 2020 at 2:00 PM about the Peregrine Falcon restoration project at Shenandoah National Park.
Rolf Gubler, National Park Service biologist, with a Peregrine Falcon. Photo courtesty of Friends of Dyke Marsh
A team brings at-risk Peregrine Falcon chicks from bridge nest sites in eastern Virginia to Virginia’s mountains, once part of their historic range. They hope the birds will imprint on the park's cliffs and return as breeding adults. This project boosts mountain peregrine populations and aids in the survival of bridge nest peregrine chicks where fledging is often difficult due to insufficient updrafts.
Peregrine Falcons were used for hunting or falconry as early as 2000 B.C. in China and Egypt and in World War II, both the British/U.S. and the German armies had a falcon corps to intercept their opponent’s homing pigeons. Peregrines are found in rural and urban environments and on every continent except Antarctica.
This free, public meeting will be at the Mount Vernon Government Center 2511 Parkers Lane, Alexandria, near U.S. 1 and a mile from the George Washington Memorial Parkway.
The Friends of Dyke Marsh are sponsoring the program. Cosponsors are the Audubon Society of Northern Virginia and the Northern Virginia Bird Club. This is a free program and registration is not required.