This story has been updated here.
By Steve Polston
Indianapolis’ peregrine falcon family is in for a big shock.
Biologists from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources are removing the peregrine falcon chicks from their nest high above Monument Circle and putting federal and state ID tags on the four fluffy chicks.
This is done for every year’s clutch and is part of the conservation program that helps peregrine falcons thrive.
Indy’s peregrine falcon parents are Kinney and KathyQ, who have experienced this very upsetting activity many times … fortunately, these wild airborne hunters are not used to having their nest robbed and there is no chance they will be acclimated to human contact.
Biologists will wear hard hat helmets and leather gloves as they reach into the nest box, which is situated on the east ledge of a very tall building with a red key on it.
The peregrine falcon parents famously mated on a YouTube video in March and produced four eggs a short time later. The chicks hatched about a month after that.
In about another month, the chicks will fledge from the nest and learn to fly, Peregrines are territorial, so these young of the year will fly off to establish their own four bases to find life mates.
Some photos from previous falcon bandings are included in this article.
The YouTube video of the peregrine pair mating high atop Monument Circle is included below. It is rated 'N' for Nature.
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