After visiting the 102nd Street and Riverside Drive Red-tailed Hawk, I took the M5 bus up to Riverside Church. I was greeted by the sounds of five hungry Peregrine Falcons. One of the parents brought food just as I arrived and then two more times. All the prey looked to be feral Rock Pigeons.

After about thirty minutes, much to my surprise there was a fledgling on a lower level of the church tower at the same level as the roof. (It didn’t seem to be banded like the other young birds. Maybe it avoided capture earlier in the season.) At first I wasn’t sure if it was a fledgling or had just fallen out down from the nest but soon I saw it flying. It flew very well and went to a spot just below the nest.

The parents have a ledge where they prepare pigeons to be eaten by their offspring. They remove the wings and remove larger feathers. While a parent was doing this, the fledgling took the food from the adult.

The action should only get better later this week. When everyone has fledged there will be a few days of food exchanges and all kinds of fun. I would recommend making a visit if you live on the Upper West Side.