72 Microseasons of the Pacific Northwest

Peregrine falcons (Falco peregrinus) returned from the brink of extinction in the Pacific Northwest following the DDT ban in 1972, and Washington now supports over 200 known nesting pairs — from coastal bluffs to Cascade canyon walls to skyscraper ledges in Tacoma and Seattle. By late May, most pairs have hatched their clutch of three to four downy white chicks and are making constant hunting forays to feed the rapidly growing nestlings. Peregrines nest on cliff ledges roughly one-third of the way down a rock face, where the overhang provides weather protection and a clear view of approaching threats. In the natural landscape, the sea stacks and headland bluffs of the Olympic Peninsula and the Oregon and Washington coasts are prime nesting habitat; Cape Flattery, Destruction Island, and the cliffs at Ruby Beach all have historical pairs. In the Cascades, look to canyon walls along the Methow, Wenatchee, and Yakima rivers. Deception Pass State Park on Whidbey Island hosts a monitored nesting pair visible from the bridge walkway. Urban nesters are among the easiest to observe: pairs nesting on the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, the WPS building in Seattle, and building ledges in downtown Portland are watched by local birders each spring. The birds announce their territory with a loud, repeating "kak-kak-kak" call audible blocks away. Hunting adults stoop on pigeons and starlings at speeds exceeding 200 mph — the fastest stoops visible from city streets. Any large, pointed-winged falcon seen over Puget Sound or the coast in late May, flying with fast, shallow wingbeats between prolonged glides, is almost certainly a peregrine.