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Two peregrine chicks that presumably fell from their nest high inside a United Airlines hangar at San Francisco International Airport, have been treated and reunited with their parents in a bit of a harrowing operation.
The chicks, rescued from the floor of the hangar last month, were cared for by Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA. One of the chicks had a soft tissue injury. They were estimated to be about a month old.
After treatment, the chicks were ready to return home, but there was a question on how to do it. The parent’s had built their nest in the rafters of the huge hangar, and as the chicks aren’t flying yet, rescuers were uncertain how to get them back into the nest.
“We needed to get the chicks as close to the nest and their parents as possible without causing too much stress to the birds,” PHS/SPCA Communications Manager Buffy Martinto Tarbox, said.
After considering the options and working with United to form a plan, rescuers chose to climb onto the hangar’s catwalk with the chicks inside a carrier. They were watched — and scolded — by the anxious parents throughout the climb.
“The falcon parents must have known we had their chicks since they were following our staff and screaming at them the entire time,” Tarbox said. “Once we were in a safe area on the catwalk, we opened the kennel door and the chicks walked toward their parents. It was a very happy reunion.”
Peregrine falcons are native to the San Francisco Bay Area, and in the wild they build nests on high cliffs. Peregrines that live in urban areas make do with buildings, bridges and, as it turns out, airport hangars. Breeding pairs usually have two to three chicks a year.
“Thanks to the vigilance and concern from United Airlines and airport staff, and our skilled wildlife rehabilitation team, these two peregrine falcon chicks are back where they belong: with their parents,” Tarbox said.
PHS/SPCA’s Wildlife Care Center successfully rehabilitates 1,200 to 1,400 animals each year and is funded entirely by donations.
