Nancy

As of 1965 there were no known nesting pairs of Peregrine Falcons east of the Mississippi River.  Reintroduction projects began in 1974 in the eastern United States and in Indiana in 1991.  In 1989 the first nesting pair of Peregrines was documented- the first in over 50 years.   Between the years 1989-2012, it has been documented that peregrines in Indiana have fledged 477 young.  Nancy is the only one of our education birds whose history is known is such great detail.  She was hatched in May 2002 in Waukegan, Ill.  Her mother was Fran and her father was unknown.  She had 3 brothers in her clutch.  Her name was supposed to be Macy, but it was recorded incorrectly as Nancy when she was banded. Her first breeding was recorded at the BP-Amoco refinery in Whiting, Indiana in 2005.  She was called “screech” in Whiting due to the sounds she made as she attacked the DNR workers who took her chicks to band them. John Castrale, DRN bird biologist in charge of the peregrine project, mentioned she was the “single most aggressive Peregrine Falcon he has ever encountered” The last couple of years she nested in Whiting, she would not pull back when attacking but would fly into him they were banding.  It actually made the banding process easier as John would grab her and hand her to someone to contain while he and his assistant banded the chicks. Nancy successfully fledged 15 chicks.  She was found on a golf course in Valparaiso, Indiana, with a broken wing in December of 2012.  A local rehabber, Carol Riewe, cared for her along with veterinarian Rachel Jones of Southlane.  When Nancy’s wing did not heal well enough for her to be released, Carol contacted Soarin’ Hawk.  Nancy was added to Soarin’ Hawk’s education permit in 2014.   Many Peregrine Falcons migrate long distances in the winter.  One of Nancy’s offspring was seen in Costa Rica in January, 2013.  It was identified by its bands.  For a video about this bird, named Immaculada by its Costa Rican fans, go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIU9o0Ac7NY  It is in Spanish, but you can still learn a lot about the bird by watching the video!  For more about Immaculada, visit our website http://www.soarinhawk.com. There is more about the peregrine, in Spanish at http://www.rapacesdecostarica.com/