Mayo Clinic Peregrine Falcon Program—Celebrating 30 Years #ThrowbackThursday

By Alyssa Frank • May 25, 2017

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Since 1987, falcons have found a home on top of the tall buildings of Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

During nesting season (approximately mid-March to late June), a live camera offers 24/7, real-time views of where the falcons live and raise their young. Throughout the year, there is also a film about peregrine falcons and their activities at Mayo Clinic.

In recent years, male and female falcons were seen in downtown Rochester. The female is banded (b/r D/35) and has been named "Hattie" in honor of the Mayo Clinic Peregrine Falcon Program's 30th anniversary. Hattie was the wife of Dr. William J. Mayo, one of the founders of Mayo Clinic. The name means "keeper of the hearth, ruler of her household." "Hattie" fledged in 2015 from the Mayo Building on the campus of the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. This is her second year at the Mayo Clinic campus in Rochester.

The male fledged in 2014 from City Hall in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is banded (b/r N/46) and named "Orton" after the town where the rose granite used in the building was quarried. "Orton" is lighter in color than the female, noticeable by his bleach-white chest. We're hoping this young couple enjoys "building their nest" in Rochester.

Hattie and Orton are now busy caring for their three chicks, feeding them and keeping them warm. Learn more about the Peregrine Falcon Program.

Alyssa Frank

Alyssa Frank is a Marketing Segment Manager at Mayo Clinic Laboratories. She leads marketing strategies for product management and specialty testing. Alyssa has worked at Mayo Clinic since 2015.