On June 18, 2025, a peregrine falcon banding team gathered at Cascade River State Park at 6:30 a.m. to band chicks on a recently discovered nest site. Climbers reached the eyrie and found three chicks: a 14-day-old male weighing 323 grams, a 15-day-old male at 295 grams, and a 16-day-old chick, likely female, weighing 404 grams.
This site is new to the monitoring program, and the adult falcons are unbanded. Its location near a highway poses added risk for the chicks when they take their first flights.
Each chick was fitted with federal and multi-colored identification bands, which can be read from a distance with binoculars or a scope. These bands will help biologists track the young birds as they grow and disperse.
Joe, the climber who first spotted the new nest, was given the honor of naming one of the chicks. The 14-day-old male was named Bob.
**Birds were handled for the purpose of scientific research under a federally authorized Bird Banding Permit issued by the U. S. Geological Survey and in accordance with all state permitting requirements.
