FOURTH AND VINE FALCONS

Peregrine falcons were first introduced into downtown Cincinnati in 1990 as part of the Peregrine Falcon Restoration Project. Other cities in Ohio such as Columbus, Akron, and Dayton participated as well, releasing juvenile falcons each spring until 1992. The falcons were banded so that they could be tracked and monitored. Peregrine falcon numbers had plummeted in the 1960s due to the use of pesticides like DDT. The 27th floor of the Fourth and Vine Tower was selected as the site to build a nesting platform because the skyscraper could simulate the high cliffs that the peregrines prefer.

In 1993, Cincinnati had its first successful nest at Fourth and Vine. The female was a falcon that had been released in Pictured Rocks, Michigan, as part of the recovery program, while the male, Falcor, had been released in Cincinnati. Together they produced just four chicks from 1993 to 1999, with several failed nesting attempts.

In the spring of 2000, Falcor teamed up with a new female named Princess, who hatched in Wisconsin two years earlier. Over the next three years, Falcor and Princess successfully fledged seven young. In 2003, Falcor must have encountered some difficulty as he disappeared from the area and there was no nesting attempt. Luckily, Princess stayed in the area, found a new mate, and raised 31 chicks between 2004 and 2013! With a success record like that, she truly is the “princess” of the Queen City.

In 2010, while learning to fly, one of Princess’ young, a female named Flo, crashed into the window of a nearby skyscraper and fell to the street below. It is not unusual for the young birds to have encounters with glass as it is hard for them to see. Rescued by concerned citizens, Flo was taken to RAPTOR, Inc.: a rehabilitation center for birds of prey. There, she was nursed back to health on a diet primarily of quail. After demonstrating that she could fly and bank for turns in a large flight cage, Flo was taken to the observation deck of the Carew Tower and released. She made it back to the Fourth and Vine Tower, where she was successfully reunited with her family and became the inspiration for Harriett’s story.

The downtown Cincinnati falcons did not return to the Fourth and Vine Tower after Princess disappeared and it is not known if or where they were nesting. Then in the spring in 2017, Peregrines were spotted flying around the Tri-State Building at Fifth and Walnut. Low and behold, a nest was found tucked behind an air conditioning unit on an 11th floor window ledge. Two chicks successfully fledged. The male and female were un-banded, so we don’t know where they hatched as youngsters. But we are happy to have them here in Cincinnati for the past four nesting seasons carrying on our Peregrine Falcon tradition! This past spring in 2020, three new Peregrine chicks fledged and took to the skies.