By DEBORAH A. MILES
Nestled on the top of a cement stanchion that supports the Dunn Memorial Bridge between Albany and Rensselaer, you can spot a box that is home to a pair of peregrine falcons. For birdwatchers, having this still endangered species back is an extraordinary accomplishment, considering there were no peregrines left in New York in the 1960s.
Their comeback is due in part to the work of PEF member Barbara Allen Loucks, a research scientist at the state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) in Albany.
The New York City Audubon Society presented Loucks with a Major Achievement Award at the 21st Annual Awards for Distinguished Service to the Environmental Cause held in May at the Prospect Park Audubon Center in Brooklyn. The honor, in part, was for her 27-year role in protecting and managing the peregrine falcons.
“We’ve been working on restoring the peregrines for so long, it was nice someone took notice of the success of the program,” she said.
Making a comeback
Loucks is a walking encyclopedia when it comes to this elite group of birds. She said New York now has 52 pairs of peregrines with nests on every bridge over the Hudson River from New York City to Albany. They are returning to cliffs and nests once occupied by their predecessors in the Adirondack mountain range and making nests throughout cities as far west as Buffalo.
In Rochester, for example, they are drawing quite a crowd of observers who watch them perch on the catwalks that surround the smoke stacks.
BIRD WATCHING — Barbara Allen Loucks smiles after catching sight of a peregrine under the Dunn Memorial Bridge in Rensselaer. PEF Division 169 members also maintain an informational kiosk on the falcons at the park under the bridge. — Photo by Deborah A. Miles
“These are excellent hunting spots for the peregrines,” Loucks said. “They have very dramatic flights. They are the fastest bird in the wild. They climb very high, fold their wings and dive. They have been clocked at 200 mph. Then, they hit the prey, such as a pigeon or duck and eat it.”
Incidentally, Kodak www.kodak.com and DEC
www.dec.state.ny.us feature the peregrines on their
Web sites.
DDT harmed falcons
Four decades ago, DDT led to the extinction of the peregrines because the birds ingested the pesticide residue in their prey.
“The peregrines were wiped-out east of the Mississippi River, mainly due to DDT effects on their reproductive system,” she said.
The chemical was banned in the U.S. in 1972.
Loucks credits the Peregrine Fund, the organization that was dedicated to breeding peregrines for release, along with a large network of other agencies and individuals for their comeback.
She said members from the state Department of Transportation have constructed and placed nest boxes below bridges. When bridges or buildings need maintenance, everyone works together to keep the peregrines relatively undisturbed, especially during periods of courtship and nesting, which occur from February through July.
“Thank goodness, many people admire the birds,” she said. “The falcons are protected legally. Over time, people have come to appreciate them and support the program.”
Working close to the sky
Loucks and Christopher Nadareski, a wildlife biologist at the NYC Department of Environmental Protection, have climbed bridge superstructures, hung out of high-rise buildings and scaled cliffs in their efforts to protect nests and band nestlings.
She recalled one instance when she was tagging the young at the Riverside Church bell tower in New York City.
“The female peregrine can be very aggressive,” Loucks said. “They will attack you. They will strike your hat and hit you in the head. It feels like you’re being punched. They have big strong feet with long talons. That female in the bell tower was like that, always in my face.”
Loucks said seeing the peregrine population thrive is worth all the risks. The birds can live up to 20 years if they make it through their first winter.
With more sophisticated equipment and tracking devices, Loucks said biologists and the public can learn more about these crow-sized avians through Web cams.
“There’s so much we don’t know. And people who follow the birds chime in from around the world on discussion sites,” she said.
Love of restoring nature
For Loucks, finding a falcon feather near the banks of the Hudson River tells her the peregrines are soaring above the skyline. She speaks almost non-stop about their plight and is genuinely thrilled with their comeback.
To her, it’s all about restoring nature. It’s no surprise she won an award.
The
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