The miracle of life is about to take place again at the top of the tower of the Roger-Gaudry pavilion at the University of Montreal. A pair of peregrine falcons occupy the nest box there and the breeding period has just begun. Good news for a species that has already been completely eradicated from southern Quebec.
The images captured by a camera which films live the nest box and its surroundings have made it possible to observe these days the couple, which is the same as last year, in the process of breeding. The female, named “Ève” and known since 2018, should therefore begin laying eggs shortly, explains Ève Bélisle, research associate at École Polytechnique de Montréal.
“The laying of the first egg should take place within two weeks, but not before a week, according to what we are currently observing. Normally, when egg laying is imminent, the female will begin to spend the night in the nest box,” underlines the woman who discovered by chance, in 2007, the presence of peregrine falcons at the top of the tower. She therefore convinced the University of Montreal to install a nest box (a simple wooden box with gravel) which has now been used since 2009.
By April 2023, the female had laid four eggs. We could therefore observe it 24 hours a day in full brooding, while the male was mainly busy bringing it food, including pigeons. The latter, named “Miro”, nevertheless brooded for a few hours a day.
Baby birds coming?
The same scenario should happen again shortly, but Mme Bélisle hopes that the result will be more positive than last year. The two chicks born at the top of the tower overlooking Montreal then died, despite the care of their parents.
While it is difficult at the moment to predict the pair’s reproductive success for this spring, over the years, around thirty falcons have been born at the top of the tower, which has so far hosted two breeding females.
As for the young people born on the grounds of the University of Montreal, we cannot always know what happened to them afterwards, even if they all have a ring to identify them. Some nested in the Turcot interchange area and one of the young falcons was found injured in New York State, then later released.
One thing is certain: every spring, as we can see these days, the breeding season of these falcons arouses interest. The Facebook page dedicated to them has more than 13,000 subscribers and on YouTube, there are several views for certain highlights, such as the falcons’ meals.
Eradicated species
Being able to observe peregrine falcons at the University of Montreal, or in other urban sites such as the Honoré-Mercier or Jacques-Cartier bridges, would have been unthinkable just a few years ago. You should know that at the beginning of the 1970s, the species had completely disappeared from southern Quebec.
In the past, the peregrine falcon was indeed decimated, mainly due to the massive use of DDT, a very toxic pesticide which caused chronic reproductive problems in these birds. And even though DDT was banned in Canada in 1972, the situation of the peregrine falcon remained critical for several years, particularly due to the persistence of the pesticide in the environment.
The first inventories carried out in Quebec, in the St. Lawrence valley, indicated, for example, that the species was virtually wiped off the map, before it began to gain a few rare nesting pairs in the 1990s.
Great comeback
The numbers of these raptors ended up increasing, in particular because of their ability to adapt to urban environments. “Birds have demonstrated resilience and adaptability, notably through rapid expansion into cities where they take advantage of urban nesting sites and prey,” noted the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC). in an assessment published in 2017 which classified the species as “not at risk”.
In a report produced at the request of the Government of Quebec and published in 2022, it is emphasized that “after having experienced a good increase in its numbers and a slowdown more recently, the peregrine falcon would be well on the way to recovery”.
We add that this species arouses great scientific, ornithological and photographic interest, in particular because of its hunting skills: in a dive, the falcon can reach a speed of more than 300 km/h. “Plus, given its position at the top of the food web, it is a good indicator of habitat quality. »
Even though its situation has greatly improved in Canada, the species still faces certain threats, including collisions with high-voltage lines, cars or building windows, disturbance by climbing (the falcon often nests on the side of cliffs) or hikers, as well as wind turbines.