Sirrocco

Sirrocco is a captive bred bird who came to the World Bird Sanctuary from another facility. In 1996, he was working at Scott Air Force Base as part of the Bird Air Strike Hazard program (B.A.S.H.). This program saves many lives every year by using falcons to deter other birds from flying in the vicinity of airfields, thereby preventing midair plane/bird collisions. That year, while chasing a dove who flew toward a chain link fence he was unable to veer off in time and collided with the fence, breaking both wingtips. At first it was thought that he would never fly again. After his wings had healed, one of our dedicated staff members actually taught him to fly again, and he joined the BASH group at McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey. Unfortunately, it soon became apparent that he would never be able to maneuver well enough to resume his air force career. He returned to World Bird Sanctuary and began a new career as an educational bird. When he's not traveling throughout the country as an ambassador for his species, he can be found in the weathering area behind the Visitor Information Center. Your adoption fee will help feed, house and care for Sirrocco in the coming year.

 

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Peregrine Falcon

Falco peregrinus

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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