I am passing on the following message from Victor Hurley, Leader of the
Victorian Peregrine Project. If you can help, please send information to
us to forward to Vic.
Thanks, Hugo.
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The Victorian Peregrine Project has been monitoring the fate of Peregrine
Falcons at more than 100 nest sites across the State since 1991. The most
celebrated of these is the pair which bred on the Optus Centre in Collins
Street, Melbourne, since 1991.
After the adult male was found dead in 1996 the female disappeared from the
Optus building just prior to the 1997 breeding season. No city breeding of
Peregrines has been confirmed despite 180 phone calls to Birds Australia
after a press conference was held seeking information from the State's
birdwatchers.
Reliable sightings have now been reported of a pair seen in the Melbourne
CBD and hunting over Westgate Park (near the Westgate Bridge). Despite
continued efforts to locate a breeding site none have been found to date.
As most Peregrines will have laid eggs by mid September and the city female
was known to lay by mid August I am appealing to all urban bird spotters to
start looking to the west of the city.
Peregrines are known to use stick nests on high voltage power pylons on
busy freeways and silos or other manmade structures. It would appear that
they are somewhere to the west of the city. Any definite sightings can be
emailed, phoned or faxed through to the BA National Office and the
information will be forwarded.
Many thanks and good hunting!
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Hugo Phillipps,
Birds Australia Conservation & Liaison,
Australian Bird Research Centre,
415 Riversdale Road,
Hawthorn East, VIC 3123, Australia.
Tel: (03) 9882 2622. Fax: (03) 9882 2677.
O/s: +61 3 9882 2622. Fax: +61 3 9882 2677.
Email: <>
Web Homepage: http://www.vicnet.net.au/~birdsaus/
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