Switzerland
Falcons Feel At Home In Basel
Years ago, bird conservationists installed nesting boxes for birds of prey in high buildings in Basel – including one in a window recess in a Brenntag silo, where a pair of peregrine falcons have now set up home.
One of the world’s best-known birds of prey: the peregrine falcon.
Photo: Brenntag
The industrial estate is a good environment for birds of prey to live in. At 72 meters in height, the grain silo is the highest point in the area, providing an ideal view of its prey: wild pigeons that are attracted by the grain. The world’s peregrine falcon population, which was threatened with extinction at the end of the 20th century, has since recovered to the extent that the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) no longer classifies the species as endangered. In 2002, some 250 peregrine falcon pairs brooded their young in Switzerland alone. Although peregrine falcons nesting in cities are still very much the exception, many of these birds of prey, which are normally found in rocky terrain, settle down where humans have installed suitable nest boxes. This is because, rather than building their own nests, peregrine falcons brood their young in small caves, rock ledges or the abandoned nests of larger birds. Brenntag Schweizerhall AG is actively involved in protecting our feathered friends. Up until his retirement a few months ago, employee Urli Schmidli maintained the nesting box in good condition, thereby ensuring that the falcons always have a place to brood here. During this time, two fledglings came into the world atop Brenntag’s silo tower. Since his colleague retired, Kurt Zeller – Head of Sales and Technology – took over this role in collaboration with local wildlife research organization Wildtierforschung Basel. There are several ways in which the peregrine falcons return the favor to their hosts. For example, they keep the pigeons – which have in many places become something of a plague – away from the buildings. The highly sensitive birds also demonstrate that potential environmental stress – for example through the electromagnetic radiation from radio antennae on the silos – are at a level that is not harmful for them. And above all, the peregrine falcons are living proof that humans and animals can also live together in harmony in an urban environment. Contact: Kurt Zeller kurt.zeller@brenntag.ch
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