05/30/2025
On May 28, a licensed bird ba**er banded the two three-week-old peregrine falcon chicks at the Statler as part of statewide efforts to track populations. Unfortunately, shortly after banding, one chick, Teddy, abruptly passed. As with any wildlife work, there can be rare mortality when an animal is being held, and in the one previous case in Buffalo where a peregrine chick died while banding, the mortality was later determined to be due to pneumonia. Teddy was sent to the DEC Wildlife Health Program to determine if any underlying causes contributed to this mortality.
According to DEC, peregrine falcon numbers increased dramatically since the species first returned to New York in the 1980s. DEC documented 50 or more occupied nesting territories statewide every year since 2003, with at least 65 territories confirmed occupied in 2023. Banding is an important tool to track the remarkable recovery of peregrine falcons in New York. DEC only allows licensed, skilled ba**ers to handle and band peregrine falcons. Banding is a well-practiced method to help track birds over space and time. More than 200 falcon chicks have been banded in Buffalo since peregrines began nesting here in 1996. Jackie was successfully banded and is a female. We are very saddened by the loss of Teddy but we will continue to watch and track Jackie’s progress to keep her as safe as possible.
For questions, please contact the DEC directly.
