A female peregrine falcon that had been nesting on a tower at the University at Buffalo was removed Wednesday due to its propensity for injuring people on campus. State wildlife officials captured the bird, which was responsible for numerous attacks on people on the UB South Campus over the last three years. She is being placed in a large enclosure at an undisclosed captive facility in Western New York.
State DEC Wildlife Manager Mark Kandel says the falcon had become increasingly and unusually aggressive.
"This bird is coming in with its talons extended, clearly intending to inflict some damage," Kandel said.
Kandel says the bird's relocation is in the best interest of both the falcon and the surrounding community. One employee suffered lacerations to the head in an attack this month.
"This bird just has an innate aggressive behavior towards people. I don't believe that's something that can be corrected so our plan, right now, is to keep it in permanent captivity," Kandel told WBFO News.
"It has been further exacerbated by her extending her territory. We had one incident the first day of March, it was a quarter of a mile away, where she struck a person who was in a parking lot. That's well beyond typical aggressive behavior for a nesting peregrine."
Kandel says the peregrine's male mate will likely remain at the MacKay Tower and could either take another mate, or be displaced by another pair. The university had installed a nesting box on the tower to help promote the falcon population.
