6 peregrine falcon babies banded at Sheraton Hotel in Toronto

Six baby peregrine falcons whose families live on top of the Rogers Centre and the Sheraton Centre hotel in Toronto were banded Tuesday to help keep track of the growth of the at-risk species.

Volunteers from the Canadian Peregrine Foundation and employees from Ontario's Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry placed coloured identifying bands on the legs of the infant birds at the Sheraton.

"This is sort of a double-banding," exclaimed Mark Nash, director of the Canadian Peregrine Foundation.

Banding is part of an international protocol to help conservationists collect valuable data about the birds' migratory patterns, survival and birth rates.When people report the identifying number, researchers can learn how many chicks live in each nest, where they end up, and if they survive.

The birds are taken from their nest for bandingand then returned afterwards.

A press release from the Sheraton said a family of falcons living on the roof of the building are the hotel's "longest standing guests" and that they've been "enjoying a free stay" since their arrival in 1996. The three falcons from the Sheraton hatched over a month ago.

The other three hatched in the past week at the Rogers Centre. Volunteers from Nash's group found them on the ground near the building.

"That's a typical M.O. for a baby peregrine falcon taking their first maiden voyages," said Nash "They don't do well."

Yearly falcon rescue

Young peregrine falcons have a mortality rate of 70 per cent, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources website, and those living in urban environments are at especially high risk.

Every year around this time, Nash and a group of fellow volunteers swoop into action to aid young peregrines who, without fail, find themselves out of their element. In fact, Nash was in Windsor two weeks ago saving a baby falcon that was stuck under the Ambassador Bridge.

"We pull these poor babies out of boilers, out of chimneys, off to buses, out of pools, blowout rooms, mechanical areas," said Nash

Nash said when the birds are young they cannot fly well on their own because they are too fat, uncoordinated and lacking the necessary muscle mass. But their nests are high off the ground usually on protected ledges on top of tall buildings so when they do attempt to fly, they flutter to the ground and can't get back up.

"That's why why we're here in the streets rescuing these birds when they come to the ground," said Nash. "They can't get back to their mom and dad at elevation and it's our job to do that."

Nash said the birds will freeze like statues where they land, putting them in danger of getting hit by cars or buses.

"Picture taking your two-year-old infant out on the 401 during rush hour and releasing his hand and leaving him on his own," said Nash. "He wouldn't know what a car is, what a danger is, where to go or what to do."

Population rebounding

Conservationists in the province keep a close eye on the status of the birds because they are characterized as "at risk" in Ontario. The Ministry of Natural Resources blames overuse of the of the pesticide DDT for causing Ontario'spopulation to virtually disappearin the 1960s.

But intense conservation efforts have helped the population recover somewhat.

Nash said his group has tracked birds from Ontario that have migrated in winter as far south as Argentina.