Falcon City

George is one of a pair of peregrine falcons inhabiting downtown San Francisco and made famous by a webcam of the nest he shares with Gracie. Photo by Glenn Nevill, used under Creative Commons.

by Jessica Taekman

In early spring, downtown San Francisco's office workers are treated to quite an air show outside their office windows. In recent years, George and Gracie (a young, mating pair of peregrine falcons) have chosen to nest among the soaring skyscrapers just south of Market Street. The pair has acquired an enthusiastic following since they were first spotted nesting on a high ledge in the PG&E headquarters building in 2003.

In 2005, PG&E worked with the Santa Cruz Predatory Bird Research Group to install cameras near the falcons' nesting box or "scrape," so peregrine fans from the Bay Area and beyond could watch the nesting process from start to finish--from George and Gracie's mating displays, to egg laying and incubation, to feeding voracious young, and finally to the fledging of the chicks.

George and Gracie have changed nest locations a couple of times over the past few years, but they remain in the same general vicinity.  Last spring, they nested in a planter box perched 30 floors above Mission Street, with a grand view of the Bay Bridge.  This year, the pair has returned to the more sheltered nesting scrape in the PG&E building where they are now taking turns incubating their recently laid egg.

Peregrines select nest sites that will both provide protection for their young and also give the adults ready access to prey. On the crowded streets of San Francisco, that means pigeons. And there's no shortage of those. But peregrines will also hunt other small birds and rodents. For downtown office workers, there's nothing quite like seeing a diving peregrine snatch a bird in flight right outside your window!

More information about George and Gracie and a link to the web cam to view their lofty nest can be found at the Santa Cruz Predatory Bird Research Group website.