Capitol peregrine falcon chicks banded; naming contest begins

Two female and one male peregrine falcon chicks from the nest box near the top of the Nebraska Capitol building in Lincoln were banded and given a checkup June 12.

“The banding went very well and all three chicks appear to be in very good shape,” said Joel Jorgensen, nongame bird program manager for the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. “The young falcons have everything they need to be successful.”

The banding also marks the start of the Name the Chicks contest. Participants may submit suggestions through June 20 at OutdoorNebraska.gov; search for “Name the Chicks.” From the submissions, as many as six finalists will be selected, and anyone can vote for a favorite through a poll live June 21-30. The winner will be announced July 1 and receive a 1-year subscription to Nebraskaland Magazine.

This is the first year since 2016 that peregrine falcon chicks have been raised at the Capitol. The current pair only recently became established. Both adults are banded, and Game and Parks biologists took the opportunity to identify the alphanumeric band combination that will allow them to be identified.  

The chicks were taken from the nest box located on the 18^th floor. Jorgensen and Elsa Forsberg of Game and Parks placed unique bands on both legs. Betsy and Doug Finch from the Raptor Conservation Alliance checked for diseases and parasites before the chicks were returned to the nest box.

Continue to watch the chicks grow over the next few weeks. See a streaming video of the falcon nest box at OutdoorNebraska.gov by searching “peregrine falcons.”

Additional assistance at the banding was provided by the Office of the Capitol Commission and the Nebraska State Patrol.