More about Red-tails and Peregrines

Ben Cacace, well respected observer of the southern Central Park raptors for many years, comments...

This isn't a new situation. Peregrines have been occupying this exact same territory for at least 10 years.

The nesting RTs at the south end of the park have been in the area since 2002. I've been watching mated Peregrines in this territory since 1996 but this is the first year I've been able to see exactly where they are nesting.

I once watched both Peregrines diving on the Red-taileds as they were perched on the current nest site. I don't remember the number of times they dove but both Peregrines would alternate and dive on the pair of RTs perched on the nest structure. I feared for both the PFs and the RTs since the PFs were approaching the nest so closely.

None of the raptors were injured during this incident.

Ben Cacace
Manhattan, NYC