Bird of the week: Peregrine Falcon
About: Able to reach speeds up to 200 MPH, Peregrine Falcons are the fastest birds in the world. Being a mixture of black, gray, and white, with bright yellow feet and yellow eye-rings, these falcons are skillful hunters. They feed primarily on other birds, which they catch in flight.
Where to find this bird: Peregrine Falcons can frequently be seen perched on the Fox Paper Co. smoke stack and on trees downstream from the College Avenue Bridge.
When to find this bird: Year round.
Fun fact: Peregrines are not only the fastest birds in the world, but are also one of the most widespread. They can be found on every continent except Antarctica as well as many oceanic islands.
So you want to bird on campus?
The Lawrence Campus is a surprisingly diverse place with over 150 bird species recorded on campus and close to 200 species recorded within one mile. I have personally seen over 120 species on campus in the last two years alone and roughly another dozen within walking distance. The key to seeing so many species is knowing where to look for what, so in this article, I will share a few of the better spots on campus to see birds.
If you’re looking for forest birds, your best bet is the path along the Fox River behind Warch and Trevor Hall. Along this path you can see many different species of migrating warblers in fall and spring; it’s a great place to glimpse woodpeckers, hear Winter Wrens sing and see thrushes skulk in the underbrush. Be sure to watch for sparrows and cardinals on the more open slope where the stairs lead up to Warch behind Sage Hall.
Crossing Lawe Street, you can find Goldfinches and House finches along with other sparrows in the Slug Garden. The Lawe Street bridge also hosts a colony of Cliff Swallows starting in May through early August, and the Fox Paper Company smoke stack is a popular roosting spot for Rock Pigeons and Peregrine Falcons (binoculars are recommended for better views!). Further upstream, the rocks below the Olde Oneida Street bridge are popular for ducks, pelicans and gulls. The trees on the island behind the old mill host a heron and egret roost. This area is particularly good when the water levels are lower. I like to view the spot either from the bridge or, if I want to watch from campus, I scan the river from the tennis court parking lot. The hillside behind Colman Hall is also good for migrating songbirds and is a great place to see Red-eyed Vireos. Main Hall Green is also a good place for birding during the right times of the year. In fall, check the berry bushes for flocks of feeding Robins and Waxwings along with other species. In spring, it’s a good place to watch Warblers migrate through.
A bit further from central campus, the Hydraulic Heritage pedestrian bridge (right by the Lawe Street bridge) is a great place to view ducks and geese during the fall, winter and spring, and the Newberry trail creates many more viewing opportunities for ducks and migrating passerines. I also like birding at Peabody Park, where I’ve had Barred Owls and Cooper’s Hawks.
It is impressive how diverse the area is and, even though it takes some time to see over 100 species, you’ll probably be surprised with what all you can see within a few minutes’ walk from class.
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