COLUMBUS, OH -- Peregrine falcons are currently incubating eggs at eight sites across the state, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife. Project coordinator Dave Scott reports that the confirmed egg count has reached 25, although biologists are still determining the number of eggs present at nesting sites in Toledo and Lakewood. ODNR Wildlife biologists project hatching to begin around April 23 and to continue through May 8.

Local site managers are busy documenting new pairs, birds that have changed sites, the death of a female from an incubating pair, and old pairs in new locations, according to Scott.

Bandit and Katie, the Columbus peregrines, are again providing Internet visitors with an opportunity to witness the details of life at a peregrine nest site. "After all the excitement of courtship and egg-laying, incubation is usually uneventful," said site manager Donna Daniel. "I think most individuals visit the web site hoping to get a glimpse of the eggs when the birds change places. We anticipate these eggs will begin hatching around April 30." Visitors can access the division's peregrine falcon webcam from ODNR's web site at www.dnr.state.oh.us and can review falcon reports posted from around the state.. Reports include information on the identities of the birds at other locations, the number of eggs present, and the date hatches are expected.

"Four eggs from the LTV nest site in Cleveland have a second chance, thanks to the quick actions of a Cleveland resident who spotted the dead female along a nearby road," said Scott. "He reported the banded bird to biologists at the Division of Wildlife's Akron office and they immediately arranged to retrieve the eggs with the assistance of the Cleveland Fire Department. The male was still incubating the eggs when they arrived at the nest site, so we have high hopes that the Cleveland Zoo will be able to hatch them in their incubators. If they hatch, we have a

number of ways we could return these chicks to the wild. It’s still early in the season, so there is a good chance that the male will attract another mate and renest."

Zenith, nesting on Cleveland’s Terminal Tower, is incubating four eggs. This year her mate is Buckeye, who attempted to nest at the Case Western Reserve University site in 1999. Clearpath, the female nesting at Case Western Reserve in 1999, is incubating four eggs at the East 13th Street site. The male at this site has not yet been identified this year.

Biologist Steve Wilcox is still puzzling over the appearance of a pair of peregrines at the Cleveland Clinic. "The secretary who works in the office adjacent to this nest did not see any birds on Saturday morning. On Monday, the birds were there—and on Tuesday there was one egg. This is very near the university site where, based on the behavior of the birds, observers believed incubation was underway on Saturday morning."

A pair of birds, by all appearances still Buckeye and Athena, are incubating on a ledge under the Hilliard Road Bridge in Lakewood. There is no vantage point from which to view the eggs, so it only possible to count the number of chicks that are alive when banding occurs three weeks after the hatch.

Hopes are high that the Akron peregrines will hatch their four eggs and be successful in finally rearing chicks through the fledging period. Earlier this month, an observer watched three peregrines at the site, leaving biologists to wonder if a single bird or a pair of peregrines was trying to move into the territory.

After three years of hosting a wintering female peregrine, it appears that Canton is poised to provide a pair with a nesting location. Observers saw both an adult female and a banded, adult male on a downtown building on April 11.

"We aren’t certain if this is the same bird that has wintered in the past," said Tom Henry, who will manage this site. "In 1998, an adult female was last reported on April 28th and then not seen until fall. Our observer noted that, although the male was trying to court her, the female didn’t seem interested in his attentions. Still, it’s usually the male that establishes the nesting territory. If this is the wintering female, she could be replaced by another falcon. We saw a similar situation occur in Akron in late April of 1997, when J.P. arrived and replaced an unbanded female Bandit had courted for several weeks."

Biologist Bill Roshak has confirmed the identities of the peregrine falcons in Toledo; it is the same pair present in 1999. A single bird is occasionally seen in Lima. Roshak continues to

receive reports of a pair of peregrines on the steeple of St. Mary’s Church in Sandusky. To date, there is no indication that the birds are actually nesting.

Rick Jasper, who monitors the sites in southwestern Ohio, expects the four eggs at the west Cincinnati site, to hatch over the Easter weekend. He is still attempting to locate the new nest site of the Dayton pair, which appears to have begun incubation. Jasper faces a similar challenge in Cincinnati, where the new female and an unidentified male have been seen courting.

Reports of peregrines continue to come from The Ohio State University campus

"Although the peregrine nesting season is well underway, we’re not surprised to find new pairs attempting to nest as late as mid-May," said Jasper. Individuals who see peregrines are asked to report their location and their band numbers, if legible, to the Division of Wildlife district office which monitors that site.

The state’s peregrine falcon program is managed by the Division of Wildlife with funds provided through the sale of the cardinal license plate and contributions to the state income tax checkoff program for endangered species and wildlife diversity. Ohio taxpayers can donate all or a portion of their state income tax refund to the Wildlife Diversity and Endangered Species Fund by checking the appropriate box on their 1999 state income tax form.

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For Further Information Contact:
Dave Scott, Project Coordinator
(740) 747-2525