Peregrine Woburn: male with full crop!

October 31, 2016 in Peregrine Falcon Woburn

_w7i3828-001Another bright sunny morning with blues skies and light winds.  The male peregrine was found perched on a rocky outcropping just to the east and below the nest ledge.  The best views were from the far east end of the back parking lot.  This looks like the continuing unbanded male based on the fine lateral chest barring.  The male appears to have a full crop from a recent meal.  A crop is the name of the part of the falcon’s anatomy that serves as a storage area for food until it is passed to the stomach – often seen as a bulge in the upper part of the bird’s chest area when it is full.