Man wearing red shirt and jeans holds white peregrine falcon chick in his hands

Researchers band medical center peregrine falcon chicks to track progress

(SACRAMENTO)

The four peregrine falcon chicks at UC Davis Medical Center were banded by a falcon expert from the Predatory Bird Research Group at UC Santa Cruz last week. The protective falcon parents screeched, and dive-bombed the group as they secured the metal leg bands to the chicks’ legs.

The female peregrine falcon dive-bombed researchers as they fitted and secured the metal leg bands to her falcon chicks.

The two female and two male falcon chicks were fitted with the bands to provide researchers with valuable data on peregrine survival rates, dispersal distances and population growth rates. Each band has a unique nine-digit number and the phone number and email of the banding laboratory to help identify the bird in the future.

The ideal time to band peregrine falcons is when they are just over three weeks old, when their bodies are almost full grown. The chicks go from 30 grams (about 1 ounce) to 1,000 grams (about 2.2 pounds) in just three weeks.

Stay tuned to the video livestream to keep up with the peregrine chicks and enjoy watching them grow!

Each band has a unique nine-digit number and the phone number and email of the banding laboratory to help identify the bird in the future.

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