McKinley Peregrines

 

We have been observing the McKinley Park Peregrine Falcons since before we knew they were "famous"! In 2023, when we had recently started birding, a birder we met in McKinley Park told us about a nesting pair of Peregrine Falcons at a deserted industrial tower. At first we only saw one (the female) on 5.5.23. On 1.29.24, we saw the female attempt an attack on a Red-tailed Hawk. We saw both Peregrines on the last day of our Bop-a-Day challenge, 2.21.24. Now we monitor the pair for the Chicago Peregrine Program. 

This page is dedicated to some of our observations and a list of links to the times we have seen these amazing falcons.

  • 8.11.25 AM Bree seen.
  • 8.9.25 AM One fledgling, Bree and Morty seen.
  • 8.3.25 AM/PM Bree and Morty seen.
  • 7.27.25 AM One fledgling, Bree and Morty seen.
  • 7.26.25 AM/PM One fledgling, Bree and Morty seen.
  • 7.23.25 AM One fledgling seen.
  • 7.22.25 AM Bree and Morty seen.
  • 7.20.25 AM Two fledglings, Bree and Morty seen.
  • 7.19.25 PM Bree and Morty seen.
  • 7.16.25 PM Morty seen.
  • 7.12.25 AM Two fledglings, Bree and Morty seen.
  • 7.10.25 AM/PM One fledgling, Bree and Morty seen.
  • 7.9.25 AM Bree and Morty seen. Fledgelings seen nearly 2 miles away from home base.
  • 7.5.25 AM One fledgling and Morty seen.
  • 7.3.25 AM Two fledglings, Bree and Morty seen.
  • 6.30.25 AM Two fledglings, Bree and Morty seen.
  • 6.28.25 AM/PM Bree and Morty seen.
  • 6.23.25 AM Two fledglings seen.
  • 6.22.25 I AM Two fledglings and Morty seen. Fledglings can fly well, and were play-fighting! 6.22.25 II AM Bree and Morty leave to hunt multiple times, but return without food. The wind seems to hinder their ability to hunt. The fledglings were play fighting. One fledgling chased Morty for a while, trying to get him to feed the fledglings. Both fledglings are female. 6.22.25 III AM Fledglings are perched on building, Bree and Morty leave to hunt multiple times, but return without food. Fledgling flies around some.
  • 6.19.25 Two fledglings, one of the fledglings flew a longer distance! Bree and Morty seen.
  • 6.18.25 Two fledglings, Bree and Morty seen.
  • 6.16.25 I, 6.16.25 II AM Two fledglings, Bree and Morty seen.
  • 6.12.25 AM One fledgling, Bree and Morty seen.
  • 6.8.25 AM Two nestlings, Bree, and Morty seen.
  • 6.3.25 AM Two nestlings and Bree seen.
  • 5.31.25 AM Two eyases seen. Bree and Morty flying.
  • 5.26.25 AM Eyas seen! Bree fed the eyas and Morty ate leftovers and stood guard.
  • 5.24.25 PM Bree with pigeon prey, Morty defends food from Ring-billed Gull.
  • 5.24.25 AM/PM Both adults seen eating.
  • 5.10.25 AM Both adult Peregrine Falcons seen.
  • 5.8.25 AM Both adult Peregrine Falcons seen.
  • 5.3.25 AM/PM One adult seen.
  • 5.2.25 PM One adult seen.
  • 4.20.25 AM Both adult Peregrine Falcons seen. We assume they switched off at the scrape.
  • 4.13.25 AM Both adult Peregrine Falcons seen changing positions at the scrape.
  • 4.12.25 AM One adult seen. Two American Kestrels seen.
  • 3.23.25 AM Both adult Peregrine Falcons seen.
  • 3.22.25 AM One adult seen.
  • 3.20.25 AM One adult seen.
  • 3.17.25 PM Both adult Peregrine Falcons seen.
  • 3.16.25 AM Both adult Peregrine Falcons seen.
  • 3.15.25 AM One adult seen.
  • 3.1.25 AM One adult seen.
  • 2.25.25 AM  Both adult Peregrine Falcons seen.
  • 2.14.25 PM One adult seen.
  • 2.13.25 AM One adult seen.
  • 2.12.25 AM One adult seen.
  • 2.8.25 AM One adult seen.
  • 2.1.25 AM Both adult Peregrine Falcons seen.
  • 1.9.25 AM Both adult Peregrine Falcons seen.
  • 12.27.24 AM One adult seen.
  • 12.26.24 AM One adult seen.
  • 11.19.24 PM Both adult Peregrine Falcons seen.
  • 10.28.24 AM Both adults seen.
  • 10.12.24 AM Both adults seen.
  • 10.5.24 AM One adult seen.
  • 9.11.24 AM One adult seen. 
  • 9.19.24 AM Both parents seen. Juvenile not seen.
  • 9.7.24 PM Parent seen.
  • 9.2..24 AM Both parents seen. Juvenile not seen. Other adult Peregrine Falcon flyover. 
  • 9.1.24 AM Both parents seen. Juvenile not seen. 
  • 8.31.24 AM Both parents seen. Juvenile may have set out on her own.
  • 8.23.24 AM Both parents and female Juvenile seen.
  • 8.18.24 AM Both parents and female Juvenile seen.
  • 8.13.24 AM Both parents seen.
  • 8.12.24 AM Both parents seen.
  • 8.10.24 AM Both parents and female Juvenile seen.
  • 7.31.24 AM Both parents seen.
  • 7.27.24 AM Both parents seen. The female fledgling flew with an unknown Juvenile Peregrine Falcon.
  • 7.22.24 AM Parent and Juvenile.
  • 7.21.24 AM Two visits. Both parents seen. The female fledgling flew and vocalized after her parents.
  • 7.18.24 AM Both parents seen. The female fledgling flew with prey then perched and ate.
  • 7.14.24 AM Both parents sighted perched and the female fledgling predating.
  • 7.12.24 AM The first fledgling sighting since 6.15.24! (Female fledgling eating meal on west side of tower). Peregrine mother on east side of tower. 
  • 7.2.24 AM No fledgling sighting. Peregrine father seems to be waiting at tower for fledgling(s). One fledgling still recovering from injuries at Willowbrook Wildlife Center.
  • 7.1.24 AM Possible fledgling sighting. Larger brownish peregrine seen flying (but not photographed) and vocalizing flying twice around industrial buildings. 
  • 6.15.24 AM Fledgling and parent.
  • 6.14.24 AM One Peregrine Falcon parent.
  • 6.13.24 AM and PM Nestling and parents.
  • 6.12.24 AM and PM One Peregrine Falcon nestling and parents.
  • 6.11.24 AM and PM One Peregrine Falcon fledgling and one nestling and parents. 
  • 6.10.24 AM Two Peregrine Falcon nestlings and both parents.
  • 6.9.24 AM Two Peregrine Falcon nestlings and both parents.
  • 6.8.24 AM One Peregrine Falcon nestling and mother.
  • 6.7.24 AM Two Peregrine Falcon parents
  • 6.4.24 AM Two nestlings with many more flight feathers. Nestlings in windows cooling off. Parents opposite building in shade watching.
  • 5.31.24 AM Two eyasses confirmed.
  • 5.25.24 AM Feeding eyas and possible second eyas.
  • 5.21.24 AM Second sighting of the Peregrine Falcon Eyas (chick)!!!
  • 5.19.24 AM Eyas Chick!!! Peregrine Falcon father with Green Heron.
  • 5.8.24 PM Peregrine male on the east side of the tower. Male eats and flys then both at the scrape.
  • 5.4.24 AM Peregrine Falcon male with bird prey. Female and male seen switching positions at the scrape. Female takes food to eat at adjacent building.
  • 5.3.24 AM Male and Female switch at scrape.
  • 5.1.24 PM Peregrine male on the east side of the tower
  • 4.21.24 AM Peregrine male on the east side of the tower, then flys out and hunts Rock Pigeons.
  • 4.18.24 AM and PM Female seen in the morning. Male in the afternoon.
  • 4.15.24 PM  Short visit. Peregrine male on the east side of the tower.
  • 4.13.24 PM Peregrine male on the east side of the tower.
  • 4.8.24 PM Peregrine male on the east side of the tower.
  • 4.1.24 AM Peregrine Falcon female and male seen switching positions at the scrape. Scrape exact location seems to be the Green painted window.
  • 3.28.24 PM Peregrine Falcon female and male seen. Male at window. Female flying from one roost to another.
  • 3.23.24 AM Peregrine Falcon female and male seen switching positions at the scrape. 
  • 3.22.24 PM Peregrine female on the side of the tower.
  • 3.19.24 AM Peregrine female inside tower at nest, male perched. PM Documented mating.
  • 3.17.24 Male and female fly in to perch. Documented mating.
  • 3.15.24 Peregrine Falcon female perched at east side of tower window, male flew out from south side of tower. 
  • 3.13.24 Peregrine female eats, flys to perch at east side of tower. Male eats and perches.
  • 3.12.24 Peregrine female flys to perch at east side of tower window.
  • 3.11.24 Peregrine male perched at east side of tower window.
  • 3.10.24 Peregrine female flying. Peregrine male inside building window at possible nesting site.
  • 3.9.24 AM Peregrine male perched at east side of tower window. PM Documented mating.
  • 3.7.24 Male and female share meal. Documented mating.
  • 2.21.24 Peregrine Falcon female and male perched. Male flying and calling. 
  • 1.29.24 Peregrine Falcon female attempted attack on a Red-tailed Hawk. She pursued Hawk across Park in flight with repeated calls.
  • 5.5.23 Our first sighting of the Peregrine female.