Sophia Phelan, Stuart Country Day School
Mercer County
First Place, Mercer County, Peregrine Falcon (c) Sophia Phelan
Peregrine Falcon
Oh, hello! Just a minute…let me catch that duck over there, and while I’m eating, we can talk. Whoosh! (Desperate wing beats) Quack! Quack! (Powerful wing beats coming nearer). Mmmmmmmmm! Delicious! You humans came and asked me questions, starting with where I live. Most surprisingly, I, along with other Peregrine Falcons, live about everywhere! In NJ, Africa, in cities, in prairies, everywhere! We nest atop cliffs, man-made platforms and skyscrapers. Our nests are called scrapes. We breed on some borders of NJ. Oh, by the way, you think I’m big and powerful? Well, you should see the females. They are almost twice the size of me! Oh, and did you see that 250 mph dive I did? I know, right! We, Peregrine Falcons, are the fastest animals on earth! We eat pigeons, songbirds, shorebirds and ducks. Ooops, my dinner got cold (gulp, gulp).
Now let me tell you about our life cycle. Courtship begins early March when I bring food to the female. Then, egg-laying occurs from late March to the end of April. We lay a clutch of three to four eggs. After thirty-two to thirty-three days, the eggs hatch and the chicks are born. The chicks are fully dependent on their parents until they master their flight and hunting skills, which will happen about seven weeks after they hatch. It all happens so fast! I miss my little ones. I wonder what they’re doing now (sigh).
Anyway, did you hear about DDT? Yes? Well, then let me tell you, DDT was causing us to die! We laid thin-shelled eggs that cracked under the females’ weight. Our chicks died early. It was the Peregrine Falcon Great Depression. But wait, it gets worse. You see, by 1964, there were no Peregrine Falcons left at all on the east side of the Mississippi River!! Luckily, the Division of Fish and Wildlife team started a restoration program. We won the war against DDT! That was the start of a new hope, a new hope that we Peregrine Falcons won’t go extinct. We are still highly endangered though. You can help. Tell others we’re becoming extinct Start a program, or do something else of your choice.
To identify us we have blueish-black backs, long pointed wings and a fine brown horizontal barring. Now, if you would please go and spread the word about us, and let me finish my dinner, I would be content. Screech! Screech! (Powerful wing beats fading away...)
Written by: Sophia Phelan
Stuart Country Day School, Princeton
Teacher: Mrs. Linda Hochuli & Deborah Land