Fastest-flying birds in the world recently banded on Isle Royale
Peregrine falcons can dive for prey at speeds of nearly 200 miles per hour, making them the fastest-flying bird in the world. Recently on Isle Royale National Park, Department of Natural Resources and National Park Service staff members banded three 4-week-old chicks. The chicks were in an eyrie, or natural nest, on a rock cliff 200 feet above Lake Superior, on Passage Island. Although no longer federally endangered, peregrine falcons still are considered rare and are listed on Michigan’s endangered species list. Approximately 139 peregrine falcons are found in Michigan. Two female chicks and one male chick each received two bands on their legs – one bicolored band, with large numbers that can be read from a distance, and a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Band, which usually is silver and bears a serial number specific to that bird. These bands are placed on young birds so that scientists can monitor and track the dispersal, migration, life span, reproductive success, behavior and ...