Injured Richmond Falcon
On the afternoon of October 12, DGIF was alerted to the presence of a grounded peregrine falcon in downtown Richmond. Upon arrival, a DGIF biologist found an unbanded adult female peregrine on the lawn of the James Center, near the spot where it had apparently collided with the building. The bird is almost certainly the female of the pair of falcons that has been breeding in downtown Richmond since 2003. The site of the collision is two blocks from the building where the pair has nested since 2006.
After initial evaluation by a Richmond veterinarian, the bird was transported to the Wildlife Center of Virginia in Waynesboro on the evening of the 12th. The falcon was assessed to be in great body condition, but unfortunately with fractures to the right coracoid, injuries to the right shoulder, and a detached retina in its right eye. The bird is currently resting and being cared for at the Wildlife Center. The extent of the injuries and the falcon’s ability to heal will ultimately decide whether it can be released. We will post new information on the status of the bird as it becomes available.