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1 March 2017 First record of nestling relocation by adult Gyrfalcons ( Falco rusticolus) following nest collapse
Bryce W. Robinson, Neil Paprocki, David L. Anderson, Marc J. Bechard
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Abstract

Nest collapse has been documented in many bird species, with little discussion of adult behavior following collapse. We present evidence of a partial collapse of a Gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus) nest during the nestling period and the subsequent adult response. A nest camera captured the nest collapse and showed one adult Gyrfalcon holding a live nestling in its beak before leaving the nest. Later, we found the surviving nestling alive in an alternate nest 5 m from the original nest, presumably transported there by the adult. We believe this is the first report of an adult Gyrfalcon moving a nestling to a new location following nest disturbance. We place this observation into a context of Gyrfalcon nesting behavior described in published sources. The continued use of nest cameras may provide additional documentation and insight into this behavior and its prevalence in birds.

Bryce W. Robinson, Neil Paprocki, David L. Anderson, and Marc J. Bechard "First record of nestling relocation by adult Gyrfalcons ( Falco rusticolus) following nest collapse," The Wilson Journal of Ornithology 129(1), 216-221, (1 March 2017). https://doi.org/10.1676/1559-4491-129.1.216
Received: 23 September 2015; Accepted: 1 June 2016; Published: 1 March 2017
KEYWORDS
Alaska
behavioral response
Falco rusticolus
gyrfalcon
nest camera
nest collapse
nestling relocation
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