​Tundra the peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus​) was admitted to the ACCA for rehabilitation in late 2013 as a hatch-year bird. Because of her plumage and size, we determined that she was an Arctic (or “tundra”) peregrine falcon on her first migration to the tropics. She presented with a beak that was almost completely broken off as well as burned tendons in her right wing. We aren’t sure what caused the burns or the broken beak, but it’s possible she flew into power lines or something else with a strong electric current. After months of care (including wearing a prosthesis), her beak grew back; her tendons, however, were too badly damaged to allow adequate flight to return to the wild. We received permission from USFWS to keep this falcon, now named “Tundra” in honor of her subspecies, to use for educational purposes.

Tundra is one of our most popular education birds. She enjoys going for walks in the woods with her human caretakers, and she especially likes to perch on large rocks to eat quail, her favorite food. She has several special perches to accommodate her wing handicap, and she has a heating roosting box to help her stay warm on chilly nights.
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If you would like to support Tundra’s care, you can send her a box of frozen quail — she will greatly appreciate it! She prefers medium-sized quail (10 per bag) but large-sized will work, too. They can be shipped directly to us (ACCA, 286 Fairchance Road, Morgantown, WV, 26508) from Rodent Pro. Thank you for supporting the care of this beautiful raptor!

For more information on this species: ​https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Peregrine_Falcon