It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s…a peregrine falcon?

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Stephen Underwood
  • 439th AW

On June 3, members of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife worked together to transfer three baby peregrine falcons from Westover to the University of Massachusetts Lowell campus.

“I thought there would just be one chick,” James Streeter, United States Department of Agriculture wildlife biologist, said. “I was really surprised when I saw three.”

Over the past 5 years, peregrine falcons have used Westover’s ISO-dock as a nesting area.

The chicks were removed from the nest after they hatched for the birds’ and aircraft safety.

Streeter and John Cody, 439th Mission Support Group environmental engineer, took part in the rescue operation.

“It was a big group effort to get this done,” Cody said. “To get the high lift ready to go and then coordinate with both the USDA and Massachusetts Fish and Wildlife. This was a multi-group effort.”

Peregrine falcons, once on the endangered species list, are a federally protected species.

Christina Dejarnette, 439th MSG environmental engineer intern, never thought rescuing baby falcons would be part of the job description.

“I am really fortunate I have been able to take part in this opportunity,” Dejarnette said. “It’s been a really neat experience.”

All three baby chicks will be monitored by a state wildlife biologist until they can be released safely back into the wild.

For more information about the birds, and to watch a live feed of these rescued falcons, please visit https://www.uml.edu/falcons/