Tag: peregrine

Story by: Union County Office of Public Information

As the courtship season begins for peregrine falcons, residents of all ages and visitors from all over the world can observe and study one of the fastest animals on earth by tuning in to the Union County Falcon Cam. “The Falcon Cam is a great opportunity for residents of all ages to experience and learn about peregrine falcons up close,” said Freeholder Chair Bette Jane Kowalski. “This season we have a new female falcon, who has taken over the territory on the roof of the Union County Court House.”

Union County’s falcon preservation efforts have been undertaken with the generous assistance of the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife and Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey. Conserve Wildlife Foundation is Union County’s official partner for educational programming related to falcons and the Falcon Cam.

• Continue reading on Tap into Neighborhood News
• Learn more about CWF’s Peregrine Falcon Project
• Watch the Union County Falcon Cam

Giving Peregrine falcons a safe place to nest

by Ben Wurst, Habitat Program Manager

We just wrapped up a new project to install a new nesting tower for peregrine falcons along the Atlantic Coast of New Jersey. The tower was installed as mitigation for the construction of a new bridge that spans the Great Egg Bay from Somers Point to Marmora. Previously, in 2012 a pair of peregrine were found to be nesting under the Garden State Parkway bridge and had young. The nest was monitored for the remainder of the nesting season and it was determined that all of the young that had hatched most likely did not survive. The nest was located high up on a pier under the bridge and in that situation it would make it really hard for the young to strengthen their flight muscles and fledge the nest. When the ground under the nest is covered by water this also reduces their likelyhood of fledging.

We hope this new platform becomes occupied and that it helps contribute to the small population of peregrines in New Jersey. Thank you to all the staff from the Endangered & Nongame Species Program and the several volunteers who helped to install the platform!