Feeding Behavior of Fledgling Falcons
I set out before dawn to reach a remote location known for sea lions. The trek would take me along the base of a cliff that butted up against the ocean. Halfway into my journey, I looked toward the beach and saw a juvenile peregrine falcon feeding on a willet. Obviously, I gave up on the sea lions and spent the next 45 minutes and all my memory card space photographing the feeding session.
What I found most interesting is that while there were two fledglings present, they essentially ate in sequential order. In fact, it really appeared that one sibling was dominant over the other. That seemed odd to me, as the willet was large enough to feed both fledglings.
I couldn’t find any research that referenced sibling hierarchies within peregrine falcon fledglings, so my observation could be a case of individuals with distinct personalities
In the photo sequence below, you can see the first fledgling feeding alone and then staring intensely at the second fledgling that had just landed and wanted to join.
Once on the ground, the second fledgling approached cautiously, starting and stopping several times over a period of 3 minutes. Then, in what appeared to be an appeal for help, the second fledgling vocalized toward an adult circling above. However, the circling adult did not interfere and eventually, the first fledgling allowed the second fledgling to feed.
In the next sequence, the first sibling leaves the bird carcass and the second sibling feeds alone. I’m now very curious about falcon sibling rivalry. Is this truly a case of hierarchal behavior or is the willet just too small for two fledglings to feed together comfortably?
