Baby peregrine falcons newest sights on Tacoma skyline

A ledge near one of Tacoma’s tallest building is home to the city’s newest falcon family.

Four peregrine falcons hatched this month in a nest box positioned high on the 1119 Pacific Avenue building next door to the former Wells Fargo Plaza and local bird advocacy groups are hoping to soon put a webcam near the birds.

The webcam would allow people a noninvasive way to view the birds and their parents – Murray and Harriett, said Emily Kalnicky, executive director of the Tahoma Audubon Society. The birds are hard to see from the courtyard at the base of the building, she said.

The birds were recently banded and named, the names randomly selected from 78 names collected during an online naming contest. The names: Hope, Eeyore, Chris and Jake.

Peregine falcons can grow to be nearly 2 feet in length with a wingspan of up to 47 inches. They are the fastest animal in the world and are capable of reaching speeds of up to 200 mph when diving to attack their prey.

Kalnicky said the birds are currently working on leaving the nest and will soon practice flying. The birds are banded when they are young so “we can better understand them” and how they are impacted by the local environment, Kalnicky said. Banding is harmless, she said.

“We want to respect them and give them some space,” Kalnicky said.

Murray was banded shortly after he hatched more than a decade ago but Harriett is not. Murray is the product of a pair of peregrine falcons on the Murray Morgan Bridge, Kalnicky said.

The Falcon Research Group, building staff and the state Department of Fish and Wildlife support and monitor the nest box.

This story was originally published May 30, 2017 at 2:17 PM with the headline "Baby peregrine falcons newest sights on Tacoma skyline."