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Grinnell brought his very “eggnant” mate a sta

Grinnell brought his very “eggnant” mate a starling for breakfast this morning.

#delivery #peregrinefalcon

Annie enjoying last night’s sunset. #peregrine

Annie enjoying last night’s sunset.

#peregrinefalcon #urbanwildlife #sunset #bayarea

Annie and Grinnell spending a moment together this

Annie and Grinnell spending a moment together this afternoon. Bay Area Peregrines are starting to lay their eggs and Annie has been looking awfully nesty lately. Keep your eyes on the cams this week! What's everyone's prediction on first egg date?

#eggcited #peregrinefalcon #urbanwildlife #springfling

*Cue #Rockapella Music* Where in the World is Gri

*Cue #Rockapella Music*

Where in the World is Grinnell the Falcon?

Due to the diversity of habitats and bird distributions in the Bay Area, we can get some sense of where Annie and Grinnell are hunting based on the prey they bring back.

Yesterday, Grinnell brought Annie a Red-winged Blackbird, which is not a common bird immediately near campus. We can check where they've been reported on eBird to get a sense of where he may be hunting. That gives us three potential hunting grounds, all at least 2 miles from campus.

So, if you're ever in those areas, keep your eyes on the sky! You may spot Grinnell looking for a snack.

Annie looking fierce. #peregrinefalcon #urbanwild

Annie looking fierce.

#peregrinefalcon #urbanwildlife #birdphotography

This is the second of Grinnell’s lunch deliverie

This is the second of Grinnell’s lunch deliveries from yesterday. Birds of prey can ingest indigestible materials like bone and feathers, but separate them in their gizzard for later disposal as a pellet. It takes chicks ~10 days to develop this ability, so they parents are very careful about feeding meat only for the first week and a half.

#peregrinefalcon #lunchtime

Annie keeping an eye on campus for us.

Annie keeping an eye on campus for us.

Grinnell dropped off lunch for Annie today. Male P

Grinnell dropped off lunch for Annie today. Male Peregrine Falcons perform the vast majority of hunting for the family from courtship until after the chicks leave the nest. Prey exchanges like this are a courtship behavior that demonstrate the ability of the male to provide food for the family.

We usually try to ID the prey, but in this case, we couldn't zoom in quite fast enough. It looks to be roughly sparrow-sized, though.

#peregrinefalcon #urbanwildlife #lunch #delivery

BREAKING: Evidence of life of Mars discovered by @

BREAKING: Evidence of life of Mars discovered by @nasa?! #perserverance #astrobiology #iwanttobelieve #space

A nice head-bow display from Annie and Grinnell to

A nice head-bow display from Annie and Grinnell today. Head-bowing is one of the key courtship behaviors of Peregrine Falcons. Despite heading in to their fifth breeding season together, Annie and Grinnell still perform courtship and pair bonding every year.

We wanted to dedicate this year’s Valentines Day

We wanted to dedicate this year’s Valentines Day card to all the people working behind the scenes with @ucberkeleyofficial Facilities Services. Thank you for taking such good care of Annie and Grinnell’s home!

#valentines #thankyou

Happy #womeninscienceday! Today, we're celebrating

Happy #womeninscienceday! Today, we're celebrating Annie's namesake, Annie Montague Alexander - founder of the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology and Museum of Paleontology at
@ucberkeleyofficial ! Annie was a true scientific pioneer and has deeply influenced a century of science at Cal.

We wanted to share this amazing art by Brian Johns

We wanted to share this amazing art by Brian Johnson featuring Poppy, Sequoia and Redwood.

#peregrinefalcon #art #natureart

Peregrine Falcon populations have been increasing

Peregrine Falcon populations have been increasing recently, especially in areas like the Bay Area. This leads to occasional conflict as young birds look for a place of their own. In this clip, we can see Annie and Grinnell escorting one of these interlopers out of their territory.

One thing I'm always amazed by in clips like this is how far away Grinnell is able to detect the bird flying into their territory. He sees it when its still just a speck. That's one of the major benefits of the Campanile - a high point to see the entire area!

#peregrinefalcon #wildlife #urbanwildlife

In natural Peregrine nests (usually on cliffs), fa

In natural Peregrine nests (usually on cliffs), falcons will dig a shallow depression called a "scrape" to help make sure eggs don't roll off. Scraping a nest is a key nest preparation behavior performed by both parents (in this case, Grinnell!).

#nesting #animalbehavior #peregrinefalcon #urbanwildlife

Grinnell looking nice and fluffy on a cold winter

Grinnell looking nice and fluffy on a cold winter morning. Like mammals, birds can control how fluffy they are depending on the circumstances. More fluff is better at trapping air and keeping them warm. Less fluff is more streamlined and important for flying.

The biomechanics of how birds and mammals fluff and de-fluff is very different. Mammals have individual muscles attached to each follicle that allows them to raise or lower hairs. In contrast, birds have bands of muscle that are attached to multiple feathers by elastic fibers.

#birds #peregrinefalcon #urbanwildlife #itssofluffyimgonnadie

Looks like Bernie is braving the rain to get a fro

Looks like Bernie is braving the rain to get a front row seat to the breeding season. He might be a biiiiiit early.

#feelthebern #thismemisntdeadyetright

If you were curious, Annie is about 10 inches tall

If you were curious, Annie is about 10 inches tall from her talons to the top of her head (in a relatively relaxed pose).

#stats

Annie and Grinnell celebrated the 21st day of the

Annie and Grinnell celebrated the 21st day of the 21st year of the 21st century with 21 seconds. Brood #5 is on its way! If Annie follows her typical schedule, we’re expecting first egg early- to mid-March.

#fastestbirdintheworld #loveisintheair

Welcome back, @ucberkeleyofficial! Annie is ready

Welcome back, @ucberkeleyofficial! Annie is ready for the spring semester. Are you?

#firstdayofclass #welcomeback #gobears

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Banner photo by John Davis @jozoqo_photo

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