Millennium

Millennium came to us from a falconer who breeds and trains birds for those who pursue the ancient sport of falconry. He noticed that Millennium seemed to have difficulty locating her food, and once she left her perch she did not return to it as a bird normally would. After careful observation, he realized that she was nearly blind. Since she would be useless as a falconry bird, he began to search for an organization that could use her as an educational bird. As it so happened, we were in need of a Peregrine Falcon. One of our staff members drove to Iowa to pick her up. Millennium is a very striking bird. Females are usually larger than the males. At this point she has a beautiful dark brown coloring. She is quite easy to distinguish from the other Peregrines in the weathering area at the Nature Center. Her vision seems to be well (even though we believe she only sees shadows and movement). Your adoption fee will help feed, house and care for Millennium in the coming year.

 

Adoption Fee $150
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Peregrine Falcon

Falco peregrinus

Description large falcon; short tail; pointed wing tips; slate-gray above; black helmet on head; whitish neck; buff beneath; lightly barred breast; wing tips almost reach tail tip when perched; regional variations exist (very dark in the northwest to pale in the north
Sex females have more brown than males
Age juveniles are a dark buff color with heavy streaking underneath
Length 16-20"
Wingspan 3-3.7"
Weight 1.6 lbs.
Habitat open country, cliffs, cities
Status once found across all of North America until pesticides such as DDT eliminated eastern populations, almost to extinction; pesticide banning and captive-breeding programs have helped with their recovery; seen year-round in the US, but uncommon to rare in the winter
Range
Behavior don't build nests; lay 2-4 reddish, darker flecked eggs in cliff hollows; bare rocky outcrops, bridges or tall building ledges; 28 day incubation period by both parents; chicks leave the nest at 5-6 weeks; hunts by flying very fast and making dramatic swoops to catch prey in midair
Diet small birds, large insects, small mammals
Vocalization rapid "kek kek kek kek", repeated "we chew" at nest
Other Information - World Bird Sanctuary's reintroduction program put over 300 peregrines back into Missouri's wild - Peregrines are the fastest animals on earth and have been clocked diving at 287 mph - Three subspecies exist: pacific (Peale's), tundra and the interior west