Scotsman, UK
\n<\/p>\n
\u2018There was a lot of blood and a lot of missing feathers\u2019
\nJamie Hall, edmontonjournal.com
\nPublished: Tuesday, April 24, 2007
\nEDMONTON \u2014 The fight, says, Geoff Holroyd, unfolded like an episode of \u201cAnimal Kingdom, Jerry Springer-style.\u201d
\nA female peregrine falcon received a rude homecoming when she landed in her nestbox at the University of Alberta Monday night after completing a 26-day 6,500-kilometre journey.
\nShe came face to face with an intruder \u2014 another female who\u2019d taken the nest over in her absence.
\nWhat ensued was a battle royale that left both birds bloodied and beaten.
\nThe aerial fireworks were witnessed first-hand by Holroyd and fellow biologists Wayne Nelson and Alastair Frank, who\u2019d camped out on the roof of a nearby parkade to await the Edmonton bird\u2019s arrival.
\nIt, and a peregrine falcon from Calgary, had both wintered fairly close to one another in Colombia and were tracked back to their homebases using new technology, solar-powered transmitters that allowed biologists their closest look ever at the birds\u2019 migration.
\nThe Calgary bird made it back to Cowtown days ahead of its Edmonton rival, which, says Holroyd, seemed to \u201cstall\u201d over northern Texas.
\nIt may have just been saving up energy; it suddenly \u201crocketed\u201d out of Texas and into Wyoming.
\nIt left northern Wyoming three days ago and quickly covered the remaining 1,270 kilometres to Edmonton, arriving Monday night just after 8 p.m.
\nIts mate flew out to greet it, says Holroyd, then veered off to his roost as the female approached the nestbox. (Males, says Holroyd, do not get involved in territorial battles and will \u201cstand by and let the females duke it out.\u201d)
\n\u201cWhen she landed on the nest site,\u201d says Holroyd, \u201cshe turned around, and, boom, there\u2019s the interloper \u2014 the mistress, if you like \u2014 in her face.\u201d
\nThe fight began instantly. The females locked talons, then began biting each other using their bills.
\nEight minutes later, still locked in mortal combat, they tumbled to the edge of the nestbox and out, landing on a rooftop about 10 feet below, out of sight of witnesses.
\n\u201cWe could hear them squawking,\u201d says Holroyd, \u201cbut we couldn\u2019t see them.\u201d
\nFrank, meanwhile, managed to convince a security guard to let him onto the rooftop, and, once there, they separated the combatants.
\n\u201cThey had fought for 25 minutes before they were separated,\u201d says Holroyd. \u201cThere was a lot of blood, and a lot of missing feathers.\u201d
\nAfter weighing and measuring both birds, the biologists decided to let the interloper go and to keep the other falcon overnight.
\nWhen they released her this morning from a building two kilometres from the nestbox, she wasted no time in returning to the battle site, covering the distance in less than 90 seconds.
\n
\nThe interloper met her and gave chase, and the pair covered about three city blocks before engaging in a mid-air battle. Locked together, they tumbled to the ground, landing in the back yard of a residence.
\nThe homeowner, startled by the racket, went to investigate and scared the birds to flight.
\nThe Edmonton bird flew north, says Holroyd, the interloper back to the nest site.
\nIt wasn\u2019t over yet.
\nAn hour later, the Edmonton bird appeared at the nest site again.
\n\u201cThe (interloper) gave chase,\u201d says Holroyd, \u201cbut only for a kilometre or so; it broke off and came back to the nest.\u201d
\nFor now, at least, the Edmonton bird seems resigned to its fate and hasn\u2019t returned.
\nThe best-case scenario, says Holroyd, is that she\u2019s gone in search of another mate, and another nest.
\n\u201cTwo years ago, she was the one who chased another female from the nestbox at the University,\u201d says Holroyd, \u201cso I guess you could say that what goes around comes around.\u201d
\njhall@thejournal.canwest.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Scotsman, UK \u2018There was a lot of blood and a lot of missing feathers\u2019 Jamie Hall, edmontonjournal.com Published: Tuesday, April 24, 2007 EDMONTON \u2014 The fight, says, Geoff Holroyd, unfolded like an episode of \u201cAnimal Kingdom, Jerry Springer-style.\u201d A female peregrine falcon received a rude homecoming when she landed in her nestbox at the University […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[413],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n