Peregrine Falcons Nest Successfully During Reconstruction of Bridge Over Ohio River

Peregrine falcons (Falco peregrinus) often nest on bridges over rivers and other waterways, resulting in the need for mitigation planning for bridge maintenance and reconstruction. However, mitigation guidelines for peregrine falcon nests during bridge reconstruction are lacking in the literature. I...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Slankard, Kate G., Taylor, Loren F., Stoelb, Dan M., Gannon, Charlie
Format: Text
Language:unknown
Published: DigitalCommons@USU 2020
Subjects:
bridge construction
bridge maintenance
demolition
deterrence
disturbance buffer
Falco peregrinus
mitigation
nest box
peregrine falcon
temporal buffer
Zoology
Milton
Online Access:https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/hwi/vol14/iss1/14
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1596&context=hwi
Description
Summary:Peregrine falcons (Falco peregrinus) often nest on bridges over rivers and other waterways, resulting in the need for mitigation planning for bridge maintenance and reconstruction. However, mitigation guidelines for peregrine falcon nests during bridge reconstruction are lacking in the literature. In this paper, we describe the monitoring, spatial, and temporal buffers, nest box installation, and other methods that allowed peregrine falcons to nest successfully on the Milton-Madison (US-421) Bridge during demolition and reconstruction. Construction activities occurred over a 4-year period (2011–2014), and coordination with local road departments and contracted engineers was necessary to accommodate the falcon nest. Nonetheless, construction activities were able to progress without causing major construction expense or delays, and the nesting falcons were able to fledge 14 young during the project.

Similar Items