The Peregrine Falcon at Quarry Bluff Estates
Why is this important to you? Quarry Bluff Estates officially has its first resident! Nestled in the beautiful limestone bluff a Peregrine Falcon has moved in!
Construction Impacts:
However, construction activity in certain areas of the project remains impacted by the falcon’s nesting cycle. To protect active nest sites, work is limited or restricted during specific times of the year, ensuring minimal disturbance to the birds during critical breeding and fledging periods.
The State Department of Game, Fish and Parks is proposing Peregrine falcons be moved from the state endangered species list to the threatened list, as the birds' numbers improve both statewide and nationally.
What to Know & Look For
What to Look For:
The peregrine falcon is a crow crow-sized bird (1-3+ Pounds) with long, pointed wings. Young birds, which are brown and cream in color, are heavily marked with streaks. Adult have a blue-gray back with a light-colored horizontally striped underside and a dark-colored head. The male is about one-third to one-hale smaller than the female.
Historically, the peregrine falcon preferred to nest on high cliffs near water, making Quarry Bluff Estates a desirable home for Peregrine Falcons.
Road to Recovery:
The road to recovery for peregrine falcons in Wisconsin is a remarkable conservation success story. Once nearly wiped out in the Midwest due to the effects of DDT and habitat loss, peregrine falcons were absent as a nesting species in the state by the 1960s. Following the national ban on DDT in 1972, dedicated recovery efforts began, including captive breeding programs and the installation of nesting boxes on urban buildings, bridges, and power plants. These efforts paid off—by providing safe nesting sites and closely monitoring populations, Wisconsin saw the return of nesting pairs in the early 1990s.
Today, the peregrine falcon population continues to grow, with successful nests documented across the state each year, marking a powerful comeback for this once-endangered raptor.
Falcon Nesting Cycle:
Early February: Adult Peregrine falcons return to the nest to defend the territory from intruders.
Mid-March to mid-April: Female falcons lay 1-5 eggs in the nest.
Late April to late May: Eggs begin to hatch after about 35 days.
Early June to early July: Falcons fledge (make their first attempt at flight) The fledglings use the nest as their home base while they develop skills.
Fall: The young falcons depart from the territory to pursue independent lives.
Falcon Fun Facts
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The latin name for peregrine falcon is Falco peregrinus, means "Wanderer".
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The peregrine falcon is a raptor- a bird of prey that hunts and feeds on other animals, typically birds.
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Peregrines typically mature at two years and can live to nearly 20 years old.
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Peregrine falcons can migrate more that 15,000 miles per year.
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The peregrine falcon is the fastes animal on earth, abe to reach speeds over 240 mph in spectacular dives called a "Stoop".
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Peregrine falcons live on every continent except Antartica.
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The falcon has long been associated with royalty. Records of the sport falconry (using a trained raptor to hunt wild game) date back more than 4,000 years.
