Rare Falcon Chicks Nesting Atop Newport Beach High-Rise Survive 18-Story Fall
NEWPORT BEACH (CBSLA.com) — An Orange County company is helping some baby peregrine falcons after some fell 18 stories to the ground.
Senior engineer Tony Furnari of The Irvine Co. saw the family of rare falcon chicks nesting atop one of his high-rises in Newport Beach.
That's why when they ran into trouble, he treated the birds with care and concern.
"I was worried about the crows gonna kill it," he said. "That's why I just stayed there with it around in the area until we got somebody out to save it."
The falcons were born in a nest tucked into louvers on the east side of the Newport Center office on Newport Center Drive 18 stories up.
Originally, there were five fledglings in the nest, but one died last week attempting to fly.
The peregrine falcons are a species that were nearly extinct 40 years ago.
The surviving birds born in May but still unable to fly were rescued, rehabilitated and put back on the roof with food after being tagged by a Fish & Wildlife biologist.
All was OK until Tuesday night when Furnari found the young female on the ground once again perched on a trash can.
Workers with The Irvine Co. watched the falcon on security cameras all night to be sure she was safe. The next morning, the bird hid in a bush, but when crows swooped in, so did Furnari.
The falcon was carried back up 18 stories, where she took flight Wednesday.
"We like to help out where we can with wildlife and game and everything in anything we do. And it means a whole lot, like I said, actually to our customers who watched the birds themselves and see how they are doing," he said.
