I finally went in search of the Peregrine Falcons that have been seen on the West Side around 86th and West End Avenue. When I arrived, I heard them and found one perched on the St. Paul & St. Andrew United Methodist Church’s tower. Then its mate arrived with prey, and perched on the SW corner of 257 West 86th Street. After the prey was eaten, the falcon that was on the church, flew to 257 West 86th Street and perched a few floors down from the other falcon. Then when I was distracted both flew off and I couldn’t relocate them.

One of the two hawks in banded. On its left leg, there is a bicolored Black over Green band with white lettering of 77 above and BV below. The right leg has a traditional silver Federal USGS bird band ending in 768.

Update: I’ve received some information. Someone responded to this post on my Urban Hawks Facebook page that the band 77/BV is from Du Bois Library, at University of Massachusetts, Amherst, with a link to a photo of when she was banded in 2019.

2nd Update: A female juvenile Peregrine Falcon was found trapped in a courtyard at 522 West End Avenue (between 85th and 86th Street), earlier this year. (This is a common problem in NYC, as young birds follow Rock Pigeons into tight spaces, and can’t fly out.) Its parents/scrape could not be found, so the bird was sent to the Wild Bird Fund, and then out to the Raptor Trust in New Jersey. The juvenile was banded with a standard USGS band: 1947-45321 and a Black/Green auxiliary band BA/42. So, the adults seen a few days ago may have been parents earlier this year.