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Inner city home for wild raptors
A pair of wild peregrine falcons has taken up home in a planter box on a small balcony outside on the 11th floor of Australia Place on William Street.
The presence of the raptor family in such an urban setting has sparked great interest, not only with Verve Energy employees and building management, but also with raptor groups.
However, peregrine falcons adapt well to the urban landscape and this artificial 'cliff' is a fine place to nest.
Three of four eggs successfully hatched after incubating for 30 days. Now, a steady supply of fresh meals delivered by both parents is nurturing fast-growing chicks.
Delicious for young falcon chicks, the meals are small birds, such as squabs (baby pigeons), chicks and ducklings, all pre-plucked and ready to tear into little bits and feed into open mouths.
Fledging takes from 35 to 40 days, so the young birds will be ready to fly at the end of October or early November.
They will still depend on their parents for food for about two months after fledging.
The birds don’t build nests - they lay eggs on ledge of cliff face, tree hollow, or, in the city, window ledges and even planter boxes. And the high perch is great for eyeing off well-fed pigeons and other small creatures below.
The peregrine falcon mates for life. They nest between August and November; the female incubates the eggs and is fed by the male on the nest.
And the peregrine falcon is one of the fastest birds of prey, swooping down at speeds of up to 300 km/h.