Most birders have a nemesis bird - the bird you just can’t seem to track down, no matter how hard you try. Other birders report seeing your nemesis bird all the time, but wherever you go, the nemesis bird goes elsewhere.
Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) | Garvin Brown Nature Preserve | Louisville, Kentucky
500mm | 1/2,000th second | f/8.0 | ISO 720
My nemesis bird has been Falco peregrinus, the amazing peregrine falcon. Although they evaded me for years, I feel fortunate that seeing one in the wild is even a possibility. Along with bald eagles, the California condor, and many others, peregrine falcons are yet another example of a species we nearly lost to organochlorine pesticides, namely DDT. By the 1970s, peregrines were extinct east of the Mississippi, with no active nests in Kentucky since the 1930s. In the United States, peregrine falcons have recovered since DDT was banned in 1972, but it was a 27-year climb before they were finally removed from the federal List of Threatened and Endangered Wildlife in 1999. They remain a Species of Greatest Conservation Need in Kentucky, and are federally protected (for now) by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Absent for half a century, all peregrines in this area are the result of reintroduction efforts. So while they are commonly observed in my hometown, that is only because we happen to have a couple active nesting sites along the Ohio River. Peregrine falcons remain quite rare in Kentucky.
A Pair of Peregrine Falcons on the Ohio River | Garvin Brown Nature Preserve | Louisville, Kentucky
For most of this year, I believed I had conquered my nemesis. In September 2019, I spotted a falcon atop Wawel Castle in Krakow, Poland, while traveling there for business. It appeared to be a peregrine, and I recorded it as such on an eBird checklist. How ironic, I thought, to travel across the Atlantic to see a bird that nests four miles from my home. Just a few weeks ago, an apparently very backlogged, but very friendly regional eBird reviewer from Poland contacted me and asked for more information to support the identification. This is normal with rarities, but it usually happens within days or weeks of the observation, not a year later. My record was of interest because the situation in Europe is much the same as it is here - native subspecies in many areas were driven to extinction, and the only peregrine falcons now present are the result of reintroduction efforts. A peregrine sighting in Krakow would be an important data point. After sending photos, the reviewer initially confirmed my castle-perching peregrine, but upon additional review realized it was a Eurasian kestrel (Falco tinnunculus). Good news, Eurasian kestrel is still a life bird. Bad news, still no peregrine for me (or for Poland).
Although peregrine falcons are probably equally as rare here in Kentucky as they are in Krakow, observations in Louisville are quite routine - almost daily, in fact. My nemesis falcon constantly reminded me of my defeat via daily eBird “needs alerts” informing me of all the other local birders’ sightings. The resident peregrines are small in number, but they tend to hang out in predictable spots. Except when I’m there. On more than one occasion, a birding friend has seen a peregrine streaking by within minutes of my departure.
But not today! Today I conquered my nemesis with not one, but TWO peregrine falcons who were happy to pose for me in a tree near the river for as long as I cared to watch. It was quite a thrill to be in the presence of these incredible animals. I have always been fascinated by birds, and I remember learning about these raptors around my daughter’s age. Eleven is the age of exploring the biggest, strongest, heaviest, fastest of everything - and thus the peregrine falcon, the fastest animal on the planet, was a natural favorite. And it still is, although as a bird lover peregrines are a double-edged sword. One on hand, they are sleek and beautiful, and seeing a bird that has been clocked at 242 mph is undeniably exciting. They are purpose built for speed, and you can see it in every feature. I choose the photo above because it shows the falcon’s prominent brow ridge which has evolved to protect their eyes during high speed flight, just one of many ways they have adapted to high velocity. But on the other hand, peregrine falcons eat mostly other birds, and they do not discriminate between pigeons and plovers. When the peregrine shows up, every other bird in the vicinity disappears, with the slow and inattentive disappearing into the falcon’s belly. Not exactly conducive to birding, but such are the ways of nature.
With Falco peregrinus now undeniably documented on my life list, what’s next?* Well, it seems that as soon as you conquer your nemesis, a new one appears, and this, perhaps, is a truth that is bigger than birding…
Thanks for reading,
Greg
* Empidonax flaviventris, yellow-bellied flycatcher - why do you taunt me so? :-)
Peregrine Falcon in the Setting Sun | Garvin Brown Nature Preserve | Louisville, Kentucky
500mm | 1/1,000th second | f/8.0 | ISO 180