72 Microseasons of the Pacific Northwest

Peregrine falcons (Falco peregrinus) are among the Pacific Northwest's most charismatic and historically significant birds of prey. Nearly extirpated from Washington state by DDT in the 1960s, they have recovered to over 200 known nesting pairs statewide — an extraordinary conservation success story. By early March, resident pairs are back at their traditional eyries: basalt cliff faces in the Columbia River Gorge, coastal bluffs along the Olympic Peninsula, sandstone formations in the San Juan Islands, and urban ledges on bridges and tall buildings in Seattle, Tacoma, and Portland. Courtship begins with spectacular aerial displays — the pair flying together in tight spirals, the male performing high-speed dives and rollovers, both birds calling with sharp, repetitive "cack-cack-cack" cries that echo off cliff walls. The male brings food to the female (a courtship behavior called "courtship feeding"), dropping prey for her to catch mid-air. These displays are most intense on calm, sunny early March mornings. At accessible viewpoints, pairs can be watched for extended periods with binoculars or a spotting scope. Prime viewing locations include the Diablo Lake overlook and SR-20 cliff faces in the North Cascades, the Vantage area basalt columns above the Columbia River near George, Washington, the sea stacks and coastal bluffs at Cape Flattery, and urban bridges in Seattle where the Alaskan Way Viaduct replacement and several major bridges host resident pairs monitored by local falcon watchers. In Oregon, the Columbia River Gorge cliffs from Crown Point east to The Dalles host multiple territorial pairs that can be watched from Hwy 30 pullouts.