HARRISBURG, PA — Pennsylvania wildlife officials banded four peregrine falcon nestlings Friday at the Rachel Carson State Office Building, a milestone that comes as the state’s longest-running active peregrine nesting site surpasses 100 hatched eggs since 2000.
The banding was conducted by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and the Pennsylvania Game Commission, which use identification bands to track the birds’ movements and monitor the species’ continued recovery in the Commonwealth.
The four nestlings were removed from their nesting ledge on the building’s 15th floor, where wildlife specialists conducted health assessments and recorded measurements including weight before attaching the tracking bands.
State officials said birds hatched at the Harrisburg site have later been documented across the Atlantic coast, from Florida to Canada, providing researchers with valuable information about migration and nesting patterns.
The Rachel Carson State Office Building nest has become a significant marker in Pennsylvania’s peregrine falcon recovery effort. According to the Game Commission, it is the longest continuously active and successful peregrine nesting site in the Commonwealth. Since 2000, a total of 100 eggs have hatched there.
Peregrine falcons were removed from the federal Endangered Species List in 1999 and from Pennsylvania’s threatened species list in 2021 following decades of conservation and reintroduction efforts. The birds remain protected under the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act and Pennsylvania’s Game and Wildlife Code.
The event also included presentations from Pennsylvania Game Commission Executive Director Stephen Smith, Hawk Mountain Senior Biologist David Barber, and raptor educator Dane Jenkins on peregrine falcon biology and conservation.
The newly banded falcons are expected to begin flying in the coming weeks. Volunteers with Falcon Watch and Rescue will monitor the young birds as they leave the nest and assist with recoveries if they land near the Rachel Carson State Office Building.
Birdwatchers who observe a banded peregrine falcon can report sightings through ReportBand.gov, helping wildlife biologists track the species’ movements and nesting activity.
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