A pair of peregrine falcons is nesting under the I-5 Ship Canal Bridge in Seattle.
The couple, affectionately nicknamed Ariel and Maverick, hatched two chicks around June 11, 2017.
Three weeks after they hatched, WSDOT accompanied a licensed falcon bander to the bridge to placed identification bands around the chicks' legs.
Here, licensed falcon bander Ed Deal (in the white helmet) and WSDOT wildlife biologist and liaison to the National Marine Fisheries Service, Michael MacDonald, carefully begin the banding process on the second chick.
The chicks are generally banded when they're 19-21 days old. That's when their legs are actually adult sized, but the chicks don't have their flight feathers so they can't get away from us.
Banding the chicks allows wildlife agencies and conservation groups to track the population and spread of peregrine falcons, which nearly went extinct due to pesticides.
Loading contexts...
