More than 20 people bundled up against the cold, with binoculars, on a watch tower along a bridge over the Chicago River

words by Kris Hansen

Twenty-three birders, including two under age 10, joined COS president Edward Warden for a Peregrine Falcon walk along Wacker Drive in Chicago’s Loop on March 9, 2025.

He barely finished introductions before a peregrine began circling above Jackson Blvd., giving great looks at its pointed wings and relatively thick body. Warden explained that the peregrine is larger than either of Chicago’s other falcons, Merlins and American Kestrels, and is the official bird of the City of Chicago.

View from below of flying bird, white belly with narrow horizontal brown striping on chest and wings, black cap and mustache, golden bill and talons — Peregrine Falcon. *Photo by Carlos Navarro Gonzalez, March 9, 2025, Chicago Loop.*

As we walked toward the bridge over the Chicago River, two peregrines were spotted perched on rooftop poles on the other side. Warden speculated that they were the pair who nest on the Lyric Opera building. The two posed long enough for everyone to take a look through a spotting scope.

We continued northward on Wacker for barely a block before two more peregrines were spotted, one above the other, perched on a building’s honeycomb-style ledges. By sitting so close together, they made it easy to see how the female was larger than the male. This was a known nesting spot for the pair, who may return for as long as 15 years to raise chicks.

Falcon crouching on concrete ledge, claws poked over the side. Black head and neck, white eye ring and chin, white and brown striped breast, hooked yellow beak. — Peregrine Falcon. *Photo by Carlos Navarro Gonzalez, March 9, 2025, Chicago Loop.*

The two nests on Wacker are just a block apart, and Warden said that there are no other documented instances of two pairs of peregrines nesting so close together. Likely it is possible because they have plenty of food, which includes Rock Pigeons, other birds, squirrels and small rodents. The Lyric pair tends to hunt north and west of the river while the Wacker pair hunts east and south.

As we walked on toward our third stop, Warden explained that peregrines were extinct in Illinois by the middle of the last century. Through the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act of 1980, peregrines were reintroduced to cities across the United States, where tall buildings mimic the canyon walls and gorges of their natural home. From the initial pairs introduced in the 1980s, Chicago’s population has grown to about 40 nesting pairs.

Falcon perched on a spire, wind ruffling its feathers. — Peregrine Falcon. *Photo by Carlos Navarro Gonzalez, March 9, 2025, Chicago Loop.*

As we turned east on Wacker, we could see Red-Breasted Mergansers and Canada Geese in the river, along with Ring-billed Gulls soaring overhead. We saw seven species on our walk.

When we reached the Merchandise Mart, we spotted another peregrine soaring above us. That bird put on quite a show, flapping madly to cruise south on Wabash Ave., circling back, stooping, gliding in to a window ledge, then veering off to finally perch on the corner of a roof at Wabash and Wacker. It was soon joined by its mate, meaning that our group achieved a “hat trick” by seeing all three nesting pairs along our route.

Falcon in the air, wings back, claws coming forward, rising up to perch on a ledge. — Peregrine Falcon. *Photo by Carlos Navarro Gonzalez, March 9, 2025, Chicago Loop.*

Noted one participant, “I love the collective gasp when we see another one.”

Field Trip Recap: Peregrine Falcon Walk