On January 17, a tinkle in a WhatsApp group of Madras Naturalists’ Society (MNS) made Gnanaskandan Kesavabharathi jump out of his seat. A tidbit of information that arrived with that tinkle demanded an immediate response and GK (as he is known in naturalist circles) was on to it, promptly keying in an instruction that elbowed two young MNS members on to the road to MRC Nagar.
The info that cranked up the series of actions — “not one but two Peregrine falcons lord it over a rash of buildings at MRC Nagar”. It was a tipoff from Ambika C.., a resident of MRC Nagar with an MNS membership.
The two MNS members landed at the spot lickety-split to ascertain the snappy report’s veracity. One of the questions to get out of the way: is the new entrant really a Peregrine falcon or a “lookalike”, some other falcon being mistaken for a Peregrine? As sure as eggs are eggs, there were two Peregrine falcons, a male and a female, greeting the two naturalists, while being perched on a tall building.
A female Peregrine falcon on a building at MRC Nagar on January 17, 2025.
| Photo Credit:
Bharath Ravikumar
Project Raptor Watch (PRW), spearheaded by GK, has been studying this patch for at least three winters, if not more, as a Peregrine falcon had helped itself to it, making it its winter stay, choosing its perch among three tall buIldings. The patch is now a divided territory with another Peregrine falcon wading into the space.
Bharath Ravikumar, one of the two MNS members to study two Peregrine falcons at MRC Nagar, observes: “It was 3.30 p.m. Both of them were perched far apart. There was no hint of any unrest or an incination to ‘ward off’ the other; they were both camly minding their own business. Around 4.30 p.m., the male took to the air and disappeared and half an hour later, he showed up and was perched on the same ledge as the female, but on the opposite end. This seemed to have disturbed her; and she started walking towards him and pushed him off the ledge.”

If observations elsewhere are anything to go by, they will tolerate each other and might even come to hunt together, as is the case at House of Hiranandani Upscale where two Peregrine falcons — a male and a female — are at ease with each other, sometimes launching what clearly appears to be a joint hunting expedition. These observations have been made by E. Arun Kumar, an MNS member residing at Upscale.
“Of course, as this is the wintering ground, they would not pair off, but they could likely form a bond strong enough to hunt together,” says GK about the two falcons at MRC Nagar. “Based on observations, the possibility of tolerance towards each other is higher if it is a male and a female. Territorial instinct would kick in stronger if both Peregrine falcons were of the same sex.”
Regular monitoring
Continual monitoring of the patches in its focus is the hallmark of PRW, in fact PRW 2.0. GK notes that as a matter of routine, members of PRW 2.0 go on a raptor survey once a week. And when a freak occurrence needs to be investigated, they lose no time in doing so.
On the scope and focus of the project, GK says, “It is a longterm raptor monitoring programme of Madras Naturalists’ Society which seeks to document, study and monitor the abundance, local movements, nesting and breeding activity of the raptors found in Kancheepuram, Thiruvallur, Chennai and Chengalpattu (KTCC) districts — defining it a tad differently, the Chennai Metropolitan Area.”
The study area extends to Pulicat in the north and Nayapakkam in the west. Thiruporur and beyond, Tiger Lily Lake being defining, brings up the southernmost point.
GK continues: “PRW 1.0 started in 2015 aimed at documenting the different raptor species seen in KTCC. PRW took a new shape in 2020 as PRW 2.0 giving birth to species-specific projects such as Black kite population monitoring at Perungudi dump site, Peregrine falcon abundance survey for KTCC and nest monitoring of resident raptor species such as the Red necked falcon and the White bellied sea eagle. The project is carried out by a dedicated group of 45 volunteers. The volunteers survey 15 different clusters covering 45 hotpots. Historically, 32 raptor species have been recorded in this region and PRW has documented seven more for the region over the last one decade taking the current tally to 39 raptor species.”
Black kite monitoring
For the Black kite monitoring project, headed by MNS member Sunil Unni, binoculars were trained on the Perungudi dump site where one can see swarms of black kites at certain times of the year.
“There are Black kites that are resident in Chennai. And there are Black kites that head to Chennai from elsewhere during the south west monsoon. A majority of the Black kites that migrate to the city during this period likely fly in from the west — Kerala and Karnataka — where the south west monsoon is the primary monsoon. When south west monsoon recedes, they go back to where they came from. At the height of the South west monsoon, the number of Black kites at the Perungudi dump site swelled to around 1,300 and now, it is hardly 20,” GK begins.
Peregrine number survey
Another exercise under PRW 2.0, this survey is being conducted only in parts of KTCC where the Peregrine falcon is known to be present as also where it could be found.
Here is a break-up of the wintering Peregrine falcon population in apartments across Chennai.
Two at TVH Oranya Bay in Padur, Old Mahabalipuram Road; two at House of Hiranandani in Egattur; One at Bashyam OMR; one at Appaswamy OMR; one at DLF Garden City in Semmancheri; two at MRC Nagar; one at Trellis South in Vadapalani and one at Taisha in Saligramam. In urban sites with a Peregrine falcon presence, those residing there help with data about the bird.
“Through regular monitoring, we know the everyday movements and patterns of most of the Peregrine falcons,” he notes. “Now, we are on to the next stage of the Peregrine falcon survey — we are doing a pre-NE monsoon survey, the NE monsoon survey and post-NE monsoon survey to understand where the numbers differ. When the monsoonal rains subside, the Peregrine falcons return to their regular haunts. We do synchronised surveys to ensure the same Peregrine falcon is not counted again. When this study reaches the third year, we expect to have in-and-out data of around 30 Peregrine falcons.”
The parameters
GK continues: “As we undertake a scientific study in these projects, certain parameters come into play — namely, weather, external disturbances, wind and rain. Through these parameters we see patterns. When JCB dredges up the dump site, the Black kite numbers will shoot up — this we would put down to external disturbance even as we ascertain the extent of the increase in numbers. When wind and rain cease, the Black kite numbers will go up. During rains, peregrine falcons will go into “hiding”.”
Hunting in tandem
Whatever the vexations that sear the rufous crown of a red necked falcon, an absentee spouse is certainly not one of them. The male and female of this species are co-workers. Truth be told, that description is not spot-on, hardly setting the species apart from most others. To varying degrees, the male and the female in almost every avian species divide the drudge work that goes with raising the young. What makes the red necked falcon a touch better than most other species in this matter is that both the male and the female have teamwork and partnership developed to the nth degree.
The male and female Red necked falcon hunt in tandem with a level of coordination that would make any doubles pair in a racquet sport proud.
Bharath Ravikumar lives in a place wedged between ECR and OMR and is characterised by transmission towers, and also marsh-like patch.
He gets to see a red necked falcon pair up close.
Listen to Bharath: “A Red necked falcon pair have a hunting technique down to art, and it requires simultaneous participation from the male and the female. Sometimes, the female will launch the attack by flushing the birds parked on the ground and directing them to go in a particular direction. The male red necked falcon would be flying parallely but at a higher elevation, and when these flushed birds have been guided in a particular direction, the male would go for the kill.” There would also be reversal of roles, with the male doing the flushing and the female completing the hunt by going for the kill.
E. Arun Kumar, a resident of House of Hiranandai Upscale in Egattur, OMR who has witnessed this teammork by a Red necked falcon pair being orchestrated to perfection at Kaveripakkam, notes that this behaviour is well-entrenched in the species.
Putting the air channel to good use
Peregrine falcons feel snug in declivitous landscapes — as much at ease in those crafted with human hands as with those occurring naturally.
When they shack up for the winter at House of Hiranandani Upscale in Egattur, the two Peregrine falcons would hardly miss the rock faces they are accustomed to back in their breeding grounds. The tall towers serve them well, probably far too well for them to long wistfully for them when they have made the return trip.
Upscale resident and MNS member E. Arun Kumar, who tracks the movements of these two Peregrine falcons — named Rana and Nandini — has studied how these towers are an incredible aid in these raptors’ hunting expeditions.
Arun explains the science behind it. An air channel inevitably forms between the towers facing. Depending upon the direction in which they are flying, the pigeons find their flight aided or impeded by the air channel.
When the air is blowing against the pigeons and slamming the brakes on them, the Peregrine falcon that has soared high above the towers (where the air flows freely) takes advantage of the situation.
And then Arun goes on to discuss the artistry and the subterfuge that complement the science —narrating a hunt underpinned by this principle that he witnessed on a windy day just ahead of a massive wet rag of a day.
Arun narrates that given the weather, he was hoping, even expecting a pelagic bird to be buffeted about and finally fly his way. But he was instead treated to “a midair hunt by the fast and furious peregrine falcon”. And he is not complaining. With the aerial show put up by the Peregrine falcon, the disppointment vamooshed into thin air.
The Peregrine falcon was slowly hovering around the apartment blocks and seemed view the pigeons’ presence dispassionately. But the Peregrine falcon’s presence unsettled some of the pigeons, he says, there was a frenzied scampering among them.
After surveying the scence stationed on a window parapet for a few minutes, the Peregrine falcon swept away “towards the open space in the midst of different towers”, its flight marked by palpable intensity.
When the falcon was gaining elevation, for a fleeting moment Arun got the impression it was leaving the vicinity.
The elevation was being achiveded to launch an aerial attack. There was speed, suddeness and flawless execution. Before Arun could realise it, the hunt had been brought to a successful completion. The falcon was in front of him, a pigeon in its talons, before it faded away.
Gnanaskandan Kesavabharathi (GK), who helms Madras Naturalists Society’s Project Raptor Watch 2.0, underlines the Peregrine falcon’s ability to turn its regular hunting strategy on its head and still pull off an attempt in style.
GK notes that knowing the Peregrine falcon’s ability to gain elevation and swoop down on its prey stunning it with speed, some birds would push themselves up and try to soar much higher than the falcon.
In such a scenario, the Peregrine falcon might choose to strike from below, dipping and taking a U-turn upwards and pursue the prey.
Published – January 18, 2025 08:42 am IST