The technique used for the reintroduction is hacking. Hacking is an adaptation of an ancient falconry technique.
Male Peregrine Falcon adult. All the eggs come
from breeding birds kept in captivity
Falcon chicks hatched in captivity are used.
The method consists of feeding Peregrine chicks in artificial nests until they can fend for themselves and live without food supplied by handlers. Before becoming independent, however, the juvenile falcons which can now fly, visit artificial nests to get their food.
The eggs are incubated artificially
This means that the Peregrines recognise the place where they were released and where they feed as if they had really hatched there. As with most raptors, falcons have the tendency to return to the place where they hatched (philopatry is the scientific term for this behaviour) to establish their territory and breed.
10-day-old Peregrine Falcon chicks
hatched in captivity
Consequently, over the years, some of the Peregrines released will breed close to the area where their artificial nest was located.
In order to recognise the birds individually, each falcon is fitted with two rings: a coloured ring which serves to identify them individually from a distance; and a metal ring which bears a numerical code enabling it to be registered and controlled at a European level. Thus, if the Peregrine released here is found for example in Norway, the metal ring, not the coloured one, informs where the animal is from and where it has been found.
The nest box must be located in a high,
undisturbed place
Ringing of Peregrine chicks so they
can be identified after their release
The chicks are placed in nest boxes
at 25-30 days old
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