PCS Peregrine Falcon Project

Written by Diego Armando Segura, ’27

Read the article from The Daily Princetonian!

Overview

Since the fall of 2024, this project has aimed to bring together a number of groups on Princeton University’s campus to build and install a Peregrine Falcon nest box, which will serve as a beacon of both community unity and stewardship towards local wildlife. The project aims to provide a nest site for a local pair of falcons which have been visiting Princeton’s campus for a few years, and is aiming to be placed on top of a university building in the eastern portion of its campus.

Currently, the goal is to situate the nest box on top of Fine Hall, the home of the Mathematics Department, however the brand new Briger Hall—home to the School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS)—is also a likely candidate for the nest box. The Princeton Conservation Society (PCS) has been central to the coordination of force, purchase of materials, coordination of community work days, monitoring, and promotion of the nest box.

Introduction

What is the Peregrine Falcon?

The Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) is a predatory raptor found across the contiguous United States and in the majority of the Northern Hemisphere; it is also the fastest animal in the world (aside from people in planes, of course!). The falcon, however, has historically been devastated by human activity: most famously, the use of pesticides such as DDT crippled both falcon and other raptor populations by thinning the birds’ eggshells, incapacitating them before hatching. Historically occurring throughout much of the East Coast, it is suspected that the Eastern subspecies (population) of the Peregrine Falcon was eliminated (alongside other raptors like the Bald Eagle), and lost. Despite many parts of the East Coast losing the charismatic raptor, however, efforts began following a ban of DDT to re-introduce the species via captive breeding and release programs. Most critical to these plans has been the use of nest boxes not only to provide nesting habitat for the falcon, but also to monitor the strength of reintroduced populations following release.

Why conserve birds of prey?

Like the Bald Eagle—another highly successful reintroduction to the East Coast that has nature lovers along the Delaware River greatly enthused—the Peregrine Falcon represents a significant player in our local culture. In Palmyra, NJ, a falcon nest box on the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge remains the crown jewel of local outreach by the Palmyra Cove Nature Park.¹ The falcons travel up and down the river, having been spotted as far north as Delanco and south of the Tacony-Palmyra. These swift birds have even arrived in Princeton, where students, locals, and professors eagerly observe them roosting on Fine Hall and in the general Washington Road vicinity (Figure 1).

Figure 1. Peregrine Falcon posing on Fine Hall, Princeton, NJ. © JamEs ParRis, 22 Dec. 2022, Macaulay Library ²

Ecologically, the Peregrine Falcon, as a bird of prey, serves an essential role as a high-trophic species, regulating feral Rock Pigeon (Columba livia), migratory shorebird (Scolopax minor, Gallinago delicata, Calidris sp., Tringa sp., etc.) and waterfowl (Anas sp., Bucephala albeola, etc.) populations in our region.

Why a nest box?

Currently, the falcon population is increasing, with programs across New Jersey having successfully brought the species to urban areas atop towers and bridges via nest boxes. In the early 2000’s, the falcon was confirmed to have begun breeding again in the wild, along cliff faces in Northern New Jersey—marking a successful step towards an entirely self-sustaining population.³

Despite being able to nest atop cliff faces and high rise buildings, more security is provided to the birds when nest boxes are provided, making individuals more inclined to nest in a particular location due to the favorability of a nest box over a flat, exposed surface. Nest boxes also provide a reliable location for falcon spotting, monitoring, and banding, which scientists may use to monitor the birds’ health, reaction to environmental pollutants, or identity.

Value to the Princeton Community

Fine Hall as a symbol of bird-friendly skylines

Fine Hall, home of the Princeton University Math Department, remains one of the most iconic parts of our campus’s landscape. Whether viewed from Poe Field, Goheen Walk, or Frist Campus Center, the building stands as a testament to our rich architectural history. However, this same history is marked by a historic threat to wildlife, particularly birds, with high numbers of bird-window collisions across campus. A project led by Patrick Newcombe (‘25) through the Princeton Birding Society highlighted this issue well, successfully proposing reflection-disrupting decals that renders many of our glass surfaces more bird-friendly.⁴ Fine Hall is one of these buildings, with white, circular decals at the ground floor entrance of the building marking the unified effort to make our campus landscape more wildlife friendly.

With such a central role to our campus landscape and history of wildlife-friendly design, Fine Hall provides a distinct opportunity to champion wildlife-friendly installments to longstanding buildings. Nest boxes are especially valuable, in that they do not subtract from the aesthetics of large buildings while creating new nesting habitat for species like the Peregrine Falcon. In fact, a pair of Peregrine Falcons has been spotted on and around Fine Hall since 2014 (Figure 2), marking a distinct interest in this building in particular by the birds.

Figure 2. A pair of Peregrine Falcons perched on Fine Hall, Princeton, NJ. © Jean Bickal, 17 Dec. 2017, Macaulay Library ⁵

If a nest box were successful in hosting a pair of falcons, Fine Hall would be the first confirmed nesting site for the Peregrine Falcon in Princeton, NJ. This marks a landmark success not only for a recovering species like the falcon, but also for our University and township as a community committed to supporting wildlife conservation.

Building community on campus through multi-club coordination

Given the scope of this project, it is likely that several groups on campus will be engaged in bringing the nest box to life. Outreach can be done collaboratively through the Council on Science and Technology (CST), Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (EEB), Department of Mathematics, and other organizations.

An ideal vision of this project includes participation by not only the students involved in the Princeton Conservation Society, but by the greater University community and beyond. Although the box itself can be built by just a few people, engaging numerous parties in the project allows for individuals not only to experience but relate to the project so that, by its completion, there will be awareness of the effort by our community to conserve wildlife.

Princeton community outreach, youth engagement

In an effort to engage the greater Princeton Community, this project may be worked on as part of a series of workshops, student or faculty-hosted events that are open to the Princeton community for free. A workshop timeline may look something like this:

The Falcons of Fine Hall: Raptor Conservation and What We Can Do [1/2]
Raptor Conservation: Constructing a Peregrine Falcon Nestbox [2/2]

Having our community work on this project is an invaluable way of engaging Princeton students, faculty, and residents, both advertising the project and personalizing the nest box for those who work on it. It may also be possible for the Conservation Society to coordinate a trip for a local public or day school to learn about the project, potentially with the help of Department Staff or Professors interested in lending their time.

Entertainment and follow-up

One of the most exciting opportunities this project provides is the ability to monitor the Peregrine Falcons as they begin nesting, from site selection to egg laying. A very popular way to maintain monitoring for birds of prey without disrupting the rearing process is to install a CCTV camera in a corner opposite of the nest box entrance hole, which allows not only for exclusive views into the nest, but also observation of nestlings as they grow up and fledge.⁶ If possible, this viewing would provide a incredible opportunity for our campus community to follow-along with a family of raptors as they grow up—a chance not only to see such an incredible moment but also to bridge the gap between conservation and public interest. Wildlife entertainment is one of the greatest gateways into conservation awareness, and with students, faculty, and locals learning more about wildlife through our project, it may be possible to inspire our community to make their own projects or get involved in local ones.

What does a nest box look like?

“Dogloo” Nest Site

Personal communication with staff at the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection¹⁰ clued us into the preferred method for a nest box—a doghouse (a “Dogloo” (Figure 3a))!¹¹ This is a type of outdoor doghouse that is waterproof, sloped, and anecdotally described as durable and maintenance-free. The structure would be drilled into a rubber base and surrounded by a double layer of ¾” plywood that the Dogloo is screwed into (Figure 3b). With the weight of the structure and the weight of the added pea gravel, the NJDEP has not seen a need to drill the structure into the roof of the building, unlike some alternatives like a wooden nest box. The box can then be placed in a corner of the building (Figure 3c). Overall, they comment that the structure is preferred both by the falcons and by conservation staff to ensure a more hands-off approach to hosting Peregrines.

Figure 3. (a) The proposed “Dogloo” nest box type as seen at time of installation. (b) The “Dogloo” does not need to be drilled into the surface of the building, providing a readily-removable yet secured structure preferred by falcons and building management alike. (c) The nest box can be positioned in a corner away from service ladders or antenna to ensure bird and worker safety.

**Diego Segura** is a senior in the Molecular Biology Department studying human LINE-1 retrotransposition. In his free time he likes to run and hike, as well as listen to salsa and merengue music!

Works Cited

FALCON CAM, Palmyra Cove Nature Park, https://www.palmyracove.org/falcon-cam
Photograph of Peregrine Falcon, JamEs ParRis, 22 December 2022, Princeton, NJ, https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/515957151
Wildlife Populations-Peregrine Falcon, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Division of Science and Research, https://dep.nj.gov/dsr/environmental-trends/peregine-falcon/
Collision Monitoring, Princeton Better for Birds Project, Princeton University, https://birds.scholar.princeton.edu/monitoring
Peregrine Falcons on Fine Hall, Jean Bickal, 17 December 2017, Princeton, NJ, https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/78447811
Another Snake Delivered To The Kestrel Box – April 23, 2019, Cornell Lab Bird Cams, YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiP13cEdRvg
Personal communication via email with Brian Mutch, The Peregrine Fund.
Peregrine Falcon Nest Box, Schwegler, https://www.schwegler-natur.de/portfolio_1408366639/schwegler-wanderfalkennistkasten/?lang=en
Nesting: Peregrine Nest Box Dimensions, Outside My Window, https://www.birdsoutsidemywindow.org/peregrine-faqs/peregrine-nest-box-dimensions/
Personal communication with Clark, Kathy and Roach, Melissa. August 2025.
Petmate Dogloo XT 25870 Dog House, Smoky Mountain Farmers Cooperative, https://www.smfc.coop/2808981/product/petmate-25870. Accessed August 21, 2025.
Dixon, Nick and Shawyer, Colin. Peregrine Falcons provision of artificial nest sites on built structures, RSPD, https://www.lbp.org.uk/downloads/Publications/Management/peregrine_nest-box_advice.pdf
Attracting and Managing the Peregrine Falcon at Electricity Generating Facilities, EPRI, 2004, https://www.raptorresource.org/raptorresource/pdf/ManagingUtilityPEFA.pdf