![]() As they age, they will eat fewer meals per day, but the meals will be longer. Peregrine falcon chicks start off by eating small meals frequently throughout the day. With regard to the above part about pigeons, in 2019, Massachusetts taxpayers were actually encouraged to support peregrine falcons on their tax forms to help the state combat pigeon poop! Digestion Other common prey species include red-winged blackbirds, common grackles, American robins, mourning doves, common flickers, chimney swifts, house finches, cedar waxwings, woodcocks, and both black-billed and yellow-billed cuckoos. In Massachusetts, the most common types of prey for peregrine falcons are blue jays, European starlings, and rock doves (pigeons). (By the way, a scientific study done in England discovered that the colors of cars most likely to be pooped on by birds are red, blue, and black green is the least likely.) Local Information: Massachusetts That’s why peregrine falcons tend to be welcomed (and even introduced) into urban settings! By controlling the pigeon population, they help keep the cities’ structures from being damaged by the chemicals in pigeon poop. That’s a problem because uric acid is corrosive, which means the chemicals in it can damage cars’ paint jobs, causing them to rust quicker, as well as make bridges and other structures deteriorate faster. Since it doesn’t dissolve easily in water, it sticks to everything from buildings to car windshields. Instead, they produce uric acid, which is a white paste-like substance that is made up of nitrogenous wastes. ![]() Speaking of pigeons, let’s talk about pigeon poop! Birds cannot produce urine, or pee. In general, they typically eat shorebirds, ducks, grebes, gulls, pigeons, and songbirds. Over 2,000 species worldwide have been identified as prey for falcons. This helps regulate bird populations so the ecosystem is balanced. Peregrine falcons mainly eat other birds. After they fledge, they continue to chase their parents, except now in flight, and the parents begin doing mid-air prey exchanges with them to teach them to catch prey and hunt for themselves. ![]() Once the chicks get to be juveniles, they will literally chase their parents out of the nest box, screaming for them to bring them more prey. As the chicks get older, they will begin to grab the prey from the adults and take care of that themselves. When the chicks are young, their parents will tear off small pieces of the prey and feed them. These exchanges happen very quickly, and only take about 1 second. They may perform a mid-air prey exchange, where the female flies underneath the prey-carrying male, turns upside down, and grabs the prey from him with her talons. He brings back prey for the incubating female, who will either consume it immediately or cache (store) it for later. The male falcon does the majority of the hunting during nesting season. If the strike was not enough to kill it, the falcons use the “tomial teeth” on their beaks. They then streak right past it and pull out of their dive to catch it and carry it back. The falcons make a “fist” with their talons and strike their prey hard enough to kill it.
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