!!! Some tragic news about Hal.
January 04, 2011 - Hamilton - Sheraton Hotel
CPF Postmaster Reports:
The 2010 season was a huge success with respect to very little mortality having been recorded of the young fledglings that were produced at our southern Ontario urban nest sites, we are all holding our breath at this time of year, as this is the time when we get many reports of downed and injured raptors. While most of the reports and occurrences are not peregrine related, we usually experience and get half a dozen reports of first year juvenile peregrines running into trouble in other parts of the land while on their migration.
Sadly, the most recent report (and the first that we have had for the new 2011 year), came yesterday, Jan 4th from OMNR, looking for confirmation and identity of an adult banded peregrine having been severely injured with broken wing that was picked up in the Bowenville area on Saturday January 1st - (new years day).
After checking the band numbers and the birds history, the bird was easily identified as a bird named “Hal”. Hal was produced in 2001 at the Hamilton Sheraton Hotel nest site and has been active as a territorial adult in several area’s here in southern Ontario over the years including short territorial activity at the Burlington Lift Bridge nest site and at the St. Lawrence Cement - (now called Holcim) nest site in Mississauga Ontario.
While tragic as it is to see, at ten years old, Hal has in fact lived a long life for a peregrine in the wild, and was closing on his natural life expectancy given his age. The typical average live span of a peregrine in the wild is 9 to 12 years of age, with some living to 15 years of age.
First reports of Hal’s condition although limited and preliminary, does not sound very promising at all. We hope to get further information on Hal’s situation as it becomes available.
Hal was banded at approx. 25 days old on May 28th 2001 at he Hamilton Sheraton Hotel, weighing in at 654 grams. His parents were Madam X and Percy.