Portland Peregine Nest Site Sets Record for Number of Fledglings

by Bob Sallinger

Peregrine Falcons typically lay 1–4 eggs, with the average number of fledglings per nest being just over one per nest site. A peregrine nest with 5 young has only been documented once in the western United States, at Beacon Rock in Washington in the 1990s.

This season a Portland-area nest site located on one of our local bridges matched that record. We were excited to learn that the nest had 5 eggs, but even more thrilled when we went in to band and discovered that all 5 eggs had successfully hatched!

This past spring Audubon has been participating in nationwide peregrine monitoring efforts to
access nationwide population trends. Portland Audubon and a team of nearly 30 volunteers
were responsible for monitoring all of the Metro-area nest sites. Over the years our local
bridges have played a significant role in statewide Peregrine Falcon recovery, and our own Fremont Bridge is ranked as the single most productive nest site in Oregon over the past 15 years. Now our urban nest sites have another claim to fame — the most young produced at an Oregon nest site in a single season!