For the first time since a nest box was installed in 2022, the peregrine falcon chicks living on top of Michigan State University's Spartan Stadium will not be banded for tracking.
Banding birds allows researchers to gain specific information about a bird like its age, range and migratory behavior, said Jen Owen, a MSU professor with the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife.
Owen said concerns surrounding avian flu including the exposure risk for both humans and birds is one reason for the change.
“There’s a lot of precautions one needs to take when handling wild birds during an outbreak happening with highly pathogenic avian influenza,” Owen said.
Heightened security on campus is also making it more difficult to access the roof of the stadium to band the chicks.
“There’s a lot of safety regulations that have changed which makes getting access to the nest really difficult, and a lot more time needs to be involved in it,” Owen said.
Up until this year, the Michigan Department of Resources banded peregrine falcon chicks statewide. The program was phased out because the falcons' current population numbers are stable.
Still, Owen and her team hope to band falcons that hatch at Spartan Stadium in the future.
This story is brought to you as part of a partnership between WKAR and Michigan State University's Knight Center for Environmental Journalism.