Tarentum Bridge continues to attract peregrine falcons

It’s been said before, but something continues to be mighty attractive about the Tarentum Bridge to the peregrine falcon.

The current pair is raising three young falcons in a special nest box under the bridge deck.

This is the fourth time that the once endangered raptor has successfully raised young at the Tarentum Bridge.

Peregrine falcons are the fastest animal on earth — clocked at 200 mph in a dive.

In 2012 and 2014, a falcon pair, which included Hope, raised two birds each year. Hope has since moved on, and is the current female reigning at the nest high up on the University of Pittsburgh’s Cathedral of Learning in Oakland.

Then the Pennsylvania Game Commission and PennDOT installed a special nest box on the Tarentum Bridge in the hope of attracting more attempts at nesting.

Single birds hung around the bridge with no reports of successful nesting activity.

Then last year, a new pair of peregrines successfully raised three young birds.

This year’s young falcons were first spotted last week, according to Rob Protz of Brackenridge.

Protz, a longtime monitor of the falcons for the state game commission said the ample pigeon population might have something to do with two different peregrine pairs frequenting and nesting at the bridge. Peregrine falcons prey on pigeons.

That’s even though there seem to be fewer pigeons there now than in 2012, he noted. But the population is still present.

Just last week, Protz spotted a white dove, likely a homing pigeon, flying to the bridge.

“As soon as that dove came close to the bridge, both falcons took off after it like it a big red ‘x’ on its back,” he said.

The female didn’t go far and stayed behind with her young at the nest box. Then, 20 minutes later, the male peregrine came back to the nest with a food delivery.

Area birders have been stopping at the bridge to get a look at the youngsters, which could start to fly in the next week or so. Then the young birds will stick around the bridge and their parents for the next two months learning to become expert fliers and hunters.