Parental Provisioning in an Urban Apex Predator

Area of Science:

• Ornithology
• Urban Ecology
• Animal Behaviour

Background:

• Peregrine falcons (Falco peregrinus) have adapted to urban environments.
• Understanding parental care is crucial for urban wildlife conservation.
• Technological advancements offer new avenues for wildlife research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate parental care strategies in urban peregrine falcons.
• To quantify prey composition and delivery rates during nestling development.
• To assess the influence of brood size on food provisioning.

Main Methods:

• Utilized high-definition webcams across 30 sites in England (2019-2023).
• Employed citizen science for data collection and analysis.
• Quantified prey types and delivery frequency using video footage.

Main Results:

• Common starlings and pigeons were primary prey, with larger prey (pigeons) increasingly delivered as nestlings aged.
• Prey delivery rates peaked at 9-12 days old, then declined.
• Total food mass and energy supplied did not significantly vary with brood size.

Conclusions:

• Urban peregrine parental care is flexible regarding prey type but not total food quantity.
• Citizen science and webcam technology are effective tools for studying urban wildlife.
• Findings offer insights into the breeding ecology of urban-adapted raptors.