07-10-2023 Update On Our Young Raptors

This is a long overdue update on our young raptors and a very overdue update on their names. The theme this year is Gods and Goddesses and I guess that even Gods and Goddesses were kids once and had to learn. Our youngsters seem to have grown into their names after some bumpy starts and remedial education at flight camp. The Ruler of Gods according to Greek mythology was Zeus and the male banded with Black X / Blue 25 has been given this lofty name. Hopefully he will achieve great things and successfully rule his territory.

The Messenger God (or Winged Messenger) often depicted with wings on his heels according to Greek mythology is Hermes. A messenger with wings seems like a good description of a falcon and male Black X / Blue 26 will hopefully have a long career as a winged messenger.

The Goddess of Wisdom is known as Athena in Greek mythology and as Minerva in Roman mythology. Athena was a name previously given to a Kalamazoo falcon, so we chose to use the Roman version with a slight twist. The first juvenile to leave the nest box was the female banded Black R / Blue 83. Because she was found outside of Tempo Vino Winery, we decided to name her Winerva.

The Goddess of the Hunt is Artemis according to Greek mythology which seems quite fitting for a Peregrine falcon. That title has been bestowed to Female Black P / Blue 01.

The youngsters are flying well with strong flights and are starting to range away from Peregrine Central. This is pretty typical for this age. One was seen and photographed flying over Asylum Lake. It is hard to find them all in one spot anymore although we have seen all four within the last several days.

Three youngsters were seen chasing one pigeon recently. Luckily for the pigeon, Peregrines are not pack hunters, and the pigeon evaded all three of them. They will hopefully improve their hunting skills soon before their parents get tired of their demands for food. The young falcons typically stay around until mid to late July. Their wanderings take them further for longer periods and eventually they will start their next adventures outside of Kalamazoo.

Again, we are always grateful for the excellent care they have gotten at Wildside Rehabilitation and Education Center (https://www.facebook.com/wildsiderehab). In addition to our four delinquents, Wildside has had a busy Peregrine season caring for two juvies from Muskegon and one from East Lansing that unfortunately arrived with a broken wing. Please share your support with this fine non-profit organization if you can.