John Castrale scooted onto the ledge of South Bend’s downtown Tower Building, a blue helmet on his head and a large net in his hand.

The silence of a misty, cool day in May was interrupted only by the sound of cars whooshing past on the streets below-—until the screaming started. Then, a clunking sound made volunteers below gasp. A minute later, the clunk was followed by another set of screams and more clunking.

There’s nothing like the sound of annoyed peregrine falcons as they attack, their talons striking someone on the helmet.

But for Castrale, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources biologist in charge of Indiana’s peregrine falcon reintroduction program, it’s all in a day’s work. Castrale was attempting to retrieve three peregrine falcon chicks to band them, a process he completed on 25 chicks in 2005.

With 12 active nesting sites and nine producing 29 young falcons, last year’s peregrine season was a success.

But it’s not only the peregrines—and Castrale—who make for a successful season. Since the first releases of falcons in 1991, scores of volunteers have monitored nest boxes in urban centers across the state. They do everything from watching nesting cues to plucking young falcons off the street when they’ve had crash landings.

“We depend quite heavily on volunteers,” Castrale said. “We have building managers who keep track and report to us, because we’re interested in the timing of egg laying.

“In bigger cities, where the nest sites are in public areas, a small core of volunteers keeps us up to date.”

A peregrine falcon over downtown Indianapolis. Peregrines
adapt well to cities. Skyscrapers mimic natural cliffsides
where peregrines historically nested.

Next Page