Falcons spread their wings downtown

Four young peregrine falcons living in downtown Salt Lake City have finally "earned their wings." They took their first flights over the weekend and Monday from a nest box on the northeast side of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building, where they were hatched and raised.

Bob Walters, coordinator of the Watchable Wildlife program for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, and a team of rescue volunteers have been staked out near the building for the past several weeks, prepared to keep the birds safe after they take flight.

"I think we have an obligation to save their little lives where we can because this is an extremely difficult place for them to learn to fly," Walters said.

The urban habitat presents the young falcons with unnatural obstacles, such as traffic and buildings covered with glass windows, which Walters said is the greatest danger for them.

Walters said the first young peregrine to fly, named "Butch," flew from the nest box to the LDS Church Administration Building on Saturday morning. Volunteers raced after the bird during several subsequent harrowing flights and landings, catching it several times and checking it for injuries.

Walters placed the falcon on the beehive atop the Joseph Smith Memorial Building twice on Monday. After several more Monday flights, the exhausted bird stayed with the rehabilitator for the night.

A second young peregrine took its first flight Sunday morning and the final two took flight Monday. As of Monday afternoon, they were perched on buildings around the Joseph Smith Memorial Building.

Walters held his vigil in Salt Lake's desert heat last week and is continuing this week, putting in more than 12 hours per day watching in anticipation of flight.

"I'd say I'm seasoned," he said.

He has been keeping an eye on young falcons downtown since 1986. He wears an orange safety vest and is armed with binoculars and a towel he uses to throw over the young peregrines should they crash or land in a dangerous area — like the middle of the street.

"Job one is save their lives, job two is keep them flying."

Despite the dangers, the newly flying peregrines have a stronger chance of surviving in downtown Salt Lake City than they do in the wild — with the help of the rescue team, Walters said.

Peregrine falcons have been raising their young downtown since 1986, though the nest locations have varied.

Last year, both falcons who grew up downtown survived and left for the wild. The year before, only one of three survived. This year, as always, Walters and the volunteers hope for no losses.