Grounded peregrine falcon chick returns to the skies after vet check-up

SINGAPORE – One of the three surviving chicks from Singapore’s only known breeding pair of peregrine falcons was found by a member of the public on the ground in South Bridge Road on the afternoon of April 7.

The juvenile bird, identified as “G00” by the green ring tag it sports around its leg, was quickly retrieved by contractors from the National Parks Board (NParks) and later assessed to be healthy after veterinary checks.

It was taken back to OCBC’s Chulia Street headquarters, where its nesting tray is, for release on the afternoon of April 8. It swiftly flew off, soaring across the Central Business District with its mother before they eventually separated.

The chick, now roughly 30cm tall – the length of an A4 sheet of paper – and weighing 750g, had fledged earlier in April. It had also started taking practice flights from its nesting tray, located in a recess above the 34th floor of the OCBC building. Adult birds usually measure around 38cm to 48cm.

Four peregrine falcon chicks – the second batch from the breeding pair – hatched in February 2026. NParks later launched a 24-hour YouTube live stream of the nest for the public to watch the birds grow up.

The first of the chicks to fledge was first observed to begin taking practice flights on the morning of April 3.

Then on April 4, one chick was found dead on the ground in the Central Business District. Although the cause of its death is unclear, members of the public said they saw crows attacking what appeared to be a falcon chick.

The live stream ended on April 10 after the surviving chicks had all taken flight. The last chick to take flight was last sighted in its nesting grounds at the OCBC Centre at 6.45am on April 8, and likely took flight later that morning, said Dr Malcolm Soh, principal researcher at NParks’ wildlife management research branch.

As juvenile birds are still inexperienced fliers, it is common for them to end up on the ground, said Dr Soh.

He added: “They’re still learning to fly, and sometimes they collide into buildings, or they might be tired. They have a lot of flapping to do.”

On the fledging rescued by NParks on April 7, Dr Soh said they were first alerted to the grounded bird by a member of the public.

The NParks contractors responded to the call within an hour and retrieved the bird, which appeared to be alert although it did not move much, he added.

It was later taken to NParks’ Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation in Lim Chu Kang for a check-up, and was kept overnight to monitor its recovery.

The veterinarians checked its physical condition, such as examining its wings and listening to its heartbeat, and observed its demeanour as well.

The juvenile appeared to be doing well as it was responding to food and remained active, so the team decided to release the bird the next day, said Dr Soh.

The researchers also took the opportunity to attach a temporary 10g Bluetooth tracker to the bird. 

The tag, which is roughly the size of a one-dollar coin, was placed inside a 3D-printed case which was then attached to its tail feathers. When the bird moults its feathers as it grows, the tag will fall off eventually – in around a year, said Dr Soh.

This is the first of the peregrine falcon chicks that hatched in 2026 to be tagged, and the researchers hope this will help to better support the conservation of the species.

Through the tracker, the approximate location of the bird will be determined by a network of mobile users in its vicinity, giving researchers information about where the chick moves off to as it begins to depart from the nest, said Dr Soh. 

“It gives us a sense of the habitats they prefer to be at. Where they frequent will also be an indication of where they will hunt,” he added. “This gives us a sense of the habitats that need to be available in Singapore to support the peregrine falcons’ foraging needs.”

The rest of the chicks will be fitted with the Bluetooth tag only if there is a similar opportunity to bring them in, said Dr Soh.

The researchers will continue to monitor the progress of the chicks through sightings by members of the public as well, since the juvenile birds are also identifiable through the ring tags around their legs, he added.

Analysis of the environmental DNA (eDNA) samples retrieved from the nest is also ongoing, said Dr Soh. Through eDNA sequencing, researchers can identify prey species with greater certainty and study how the breeding pair sourced their food.

Members of the public are advised to contact NParks’ Animal Response Centre on 1800-476-1600 if any of the fledglings are seen on the ground.