The First Nesting of Falcons in Přerov

The peregrine falcon was recently considered a critically endangered species not only in our country but in much of its range. However, in the last two decades, concentrated efforts by conservationists, ornithologists, and falconers have enabled peregrine falcons to occupy more and more nesting sites. Most of these are still natural (cliff faces), but the falcons have long adapted to nesting in urban environments. As of this year, Přerov is among those urban nesting sites!

The entire nesting process was discovered by chance. On May 23rd, Mr. Kubík from Předmostí brought a young falcon to the ORNIS rescue station. The bird had been observed the day before sitting on a garden fence but was found on the ground the next day, even trying to enter a house. I learned about this rare addition to the station through a casual inquiry. I immediately contacted friendly falconers to ask for further steps. Upon arrival, Pavel Palacký quickly identified the bird's age and sex and estimated it could only fly a few hundred meters. Given the location of the find and a field check, it was clear that the falcons had to nest on the nearby chimney of the former boiler house. To our (pleasant!) surprise, we found more young falcons and a nesting box installed on the upper gallery! The question remained what to do with the young falcon. Experienced falconer Tomáš Leskovjan advised placing the young bird on the nearest flat roof and wetting its feathers. The falcon would take some time to dry off, during which its parents would find it – after all, they don't have falcon eyes for nothing. The next day, after thoroughly feeding the young falcon, we placed it on the roof of the primary school in Předmostí (with the kind permission of the headmistress), wetted its feathers, and left. Before we even climbed down, a curious magpie came to check on it but didn't dare get closer than two meters. A literal detective search followed to find out who and when installed the nest box on the chimney's upper gallery; it must have been quite a complex operation involving professional climbers (as the chimney has no safety access). Meanwhile, we conducted intensive observations of the nesting site – the parents responsibly brought food, and in recent days even live prey, which the young falcons had to manage themselves (all were already out of the nesting box). Our greatest joy came on June 2nd, when, together with another involved observer from Předmostí, T. Kabilka, we identified the rescued young falcon among the chicks using a spotting scope! This meant the rescue plan was 100% successful. By this time (article written on June 8th), the falcon family is only irregularly present on the chimney, and all four young falcons (2 females, 2 males) are fully capable of flying. The detective search to find out who installed the nest box on the chimney eventually led to the falconers in Přerov. According to their records, they installed the box with the help of professional firefighters in 2017. Until this year, the box was regularly used by kestrels, but that changed in February when they were decisively driven out by the falcons. Given the successful nesting, it is likely that this won't be the last time we see falcons here. The city has thus gained additional helpers for free, who help reduce the number of city pigeons, their main prey.