If you’ve been around Downtown for a few years, you may know this time of year the Peregrine falcon chicks fledge (aka. test their wings) from the 41st Floor of the Rhodes State Office Tower. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources peeps (sorry, we couldn’t resist) gave us a little scoop on what to expect in the next couple weeks. Hey, you might even be lucky enough to see one soar overhead.



As of yesterday, three of the chicks took their test flights, and all was going well, but sometimes the chicks get a little confused—flying around skyscrapers is a bit different than testing their wings near the forest’s edge. And concrete makes for a much harder landing surface than grass.

Flying, landing and steering—whew, it makes for tough work. (Can you imagine your teenager carefully parallel parking in the first few weeks of driving?) Once in a while, one of the birds get disoriented, and sometimes they even injure themselves.

The folks at the Division of Wildlife keep an eye on the birds. (You can also check out regular progress on the fledglings when you visit the ODNR blog.) If you see a Peregrine falcon in distress, you can call the Division of Wildlife at (614) 644-3925 during business hours.