Peregrine Falcons Nest Successfully During Reconstruction of Bridge Over Ohio River

Abstract

Peregrine falcons (Falco peregrinus) often nest on bridges over rivers and other waterways, resulting in the need for mitigation planning for bridge maintenance and reconstruction. However, mitigation guidelines for peregrine falcon nests during bridge reconstruction are lacking in the literature. In this paper, we describe the monitoring, spatial, and temporal buffers, nest box installation, and other methods that allowed peregrine falcons to nest successfully on the Milton-Madison (US-421) Bridge during demolition and reconstruction. Construction activities occurred over a 4-year period (2011–2014), and coordination with local road departments and contracted engineers was necessary to accommodate the falcon nest. Nonetheless, construction activities were able to progress without causing major construction expense or delays, and the nesting falcons were able to fledge 14 young during the project.

Keywords

• bridge construction
• bridge maintenance
• demolition
• deterrence
• disturbance buffer
• falco peregrinus
• mitigation
• nest box
• peregrine falcon
• temporal buffer