Two Peregrine Falcons Now Nesting on the Roof of Fine Hall.

This is the headline that (if I were to guess) plastered local newspapers for birds in Princeton, NJ, this past week. Even for prey animals who can’t read, I’m sure word got around quickly. The new residents made their presence known. Severed bird parts and clumps of feathers are strewn around the vast physics plaza of Princeton University–a reminder for all those who dare to cross that a pair of eyes may be tracking you from 50 feet above. I’ve attached a few pictures below. I closely examined the feather of one bird victim in my Foldoscope, though because I am not knowledgeable in this area, I wasn’t able to identify the species. It looks very cool though. 




These two falcons (pair’o’grines, if you will) who have made their new home on Fine Hall have likely slightly altered the local ecology by decreasing the populations of local prey birds. This increased bird consumption could have indirect effects across the community food web. Perhaps the trained eye will start to notice more granola bar crumbs and french fries on the ground in the coming weeks and feel the absence of our tiny woodland janitors. 

However, while the direct effects of this predation may be significant, I am most interested in the non-consumptive effects that these visitors have had on prey populations. The plaza around Fine Hall a vast, paved, open-air courtyard. It is directly adjacent to several patches of green space with manicured trees, likely a home for many small animals on campus. My hunch is that if one were to have set up camera traps in this open space before and after the falcons made their new home, we might witness an exemplar of the “landscape of fear” effect, in which the mere presence of predators changes where other animals spend their time. Though I have no evidence, I would expect all local bird to be a bit more hesitant to venture into this plaza now than they were before. I know I’d be if I were them. 

Note: I conducted this project as part of Professor Pringle’s EEB321 class at Princeton University.