State Officials to Visit, ID Peregrine Falcons as Population of Birds Grows
06/07/2017
Media contacts: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944 or Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu and Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209 or Christine_Gillette@uml.edu
* M E D I A A D V I S O R Y
Monday, June 12 10 a.m.
WHAT: Two peregrine falcon chicks – the newest of more than 25 born at UMass Lowell over the past decade – will be fitted with ID bands by representatives of the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, enabling officials to track the birds as they leave the nest and mature to adulthood.
UMass Lowell’s participation in helping to grow the peregrine population means the birds are no longer classified as in danger of extinction in Massachusetts, although they are still considered a threatened species. Birds hatched and fledged at the university have nested in Lowell atop Cross Point towers and in Concord, Leominster and Newburyport, along with Nashua, N.H., Cape May, N.J., and Providence, R.I. The university is proud to serve as an environmental steward for these majestic birds, which have been “adopted” on campus as real-life River Hawks, UMass Lowell’s mascot.
The chicks hatched two weeks ago in a nest box on the roof of UMass Lowell’s 18-story Fox Hall – the tallest building in Lowell – and are expected to fly by early next month. A pair of the rare birds has nested atop the building since at least 2007 when they were discovered by university employees. After the discovery, the university and the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife constructed the nest box to provide shelter, as the female falcon had been laying eggs on the roof’s cement surface unprotected from the elements. The birds do not make typical nests, which makes it difficult for their offspring to survive.
A webcam installed inside the nest box, available at www.uml.edu/falcons, allows viewers to watch the falcons in their urban habitat. Birding enthusiasts follow them via the webcam and social media. Schoolteachers across the region use the birds’ story to teach children about wildlife.
WHERE: Fox Hall, East Campus, 100 Pawtucket St., Lowell. Contact UMass Lowell media relations for directions and parking information.