Endangered Status Has Game Commission Carefully Planning Move Of Peregrine Falcon Chicks
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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Peregrine falcons Dori and Louie's little family are still hanging out in their nesting area at the back of a Fourth Avenue office building in Downtown Pittsburgh.
Because they are an endangered species, their presence has halted the construction on the roof of a building next door.
The move was going to happen on Thursday, but the state Game Commission wanted more time to carefully plan out the transfer.
After all, Game Commission Conservation Officer Dan Puhala says falcons "are the fastest creature on the planet. They can go up to 200 miles an hour. I've seen a PennDOT worker get his hard hat knocked off his head by one of 'em. They'll get your attention."
Puhala says picking up the chicks requires planning and equipment.
"That can be pretty dicey at times. We always make sure we wear a helmet and safety glasses because they'll dive bomb you," he said.
Game Commission Officer Doug Bergman did some recon on the nest and found the four chicks huddled next to the building. His picture taking caught the attention of Dori and Louie who both flew into the nest to express their disapproval. Bergman retreated behind a closed window.
Puhala says the timing of the move is important because the chicks "grow fast, and when they get more mobile, the last thing you want to do is chase them around on that ledge. So there's some urgency to not wait too much longer."
No date has been set for the move, but Puhala says they chicks will be heading to the Humane Animal Rescue Wildlife Center in Verona.
"They have a lot of experience. They have raised other peregrines and rehabilitated injured ones multiple times over the years," Puhala said.
BET Investments will pay the cost for relocating and raising the falcons until they can be released later this summer. Puhala says there's no way to know what Dori and Louie will do once their chicks are removed.
"They could stay in the area looking for the chicks or they could abandon the area, too," he said.
