It’s been a passion for Robert and Nancy Wheeldon for decades — working to conserve the peregrine falcon species and the art of falconry.
“I had my first falcon in 1966,” Robert told Global News.
“It was a passion from probably when I was five.”
That passion led the couple to form Parkland Mews Falconry & Bird of Prey Education Centre Inc., a facility that focuses on educating the public, preserving the species and the art of falconry, an ancient hunting technique built on bonds between people and falcons.
“First and foremost, falconry is a hunting activity. It begins and ends in the field,” Robert said. “It’s 4,000 years old. Has a very, very rich history. They (falcons) are very engaging. We have a relationship with them the same way people have a relationship with a dog and a horse. So they’re very unique.”
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The birds are part of the Wheeldons’ everyday lives.
“We start by using food as an incentive to get them used to us, and bring them into the house and sit them on a perch while we’re watching television so they get used to the various surroundings,” Nancy said.
“They have their own personalities and some days are better than others. It’s always exciting to hold a bird from the wild on your hand and have it trust you and build a bond.”
The peregrine falcon is the fastest animal on the planet, reaching speeds exceeding 320 kilometres an hour during a dive.
“They are an awesome species, they are so spectacular,” Robert said. “Things like their vision … they can see long distance and close up.”
While no longer an endangered species federally, peregrine falcons are still listed as endangered in Manitoba. Robert says climate change, avian flu, West Nile and pesticides are all a threat to the species.
“Their role is what we call a bio-indicator species, where they tell us about the health of our environment,” he said. “They are an apex predator. And as such, if there are no peregrines around, then as an umbrella species, we know something isn’t right further down the food chain.”
Robert says this is why conservation efforts are so important.
“When they wrote the recovery plan 30-odd years ago, there seemed to be a solution to saving peregrines,” he said.
“But since that time, so many things have happened in terms of climate change and other issues that the role of Parkland Mews has become a lifeboat until we can address some of the other issues.”
The Wheeldons hatch and raise peregrine falcons at Parkland Mews, either training them in falconry or releasing them to assist with population recovery in Manitoba and in other provinces. They also have devices that allow them to track the birds they release and the distances they travel.
“It’s a labour of love,” said Nancy. “We see the need in the world and the environment for stewardship, and that’s part of our mandate … good stewardship,” Nancy said.
She continued, “You still want to keep the bird with you, but at the same time, being a wild bird, to see it fly and go up into the clouds, that’s what it was made for too. So it’s a tug at the heart, I suppose.”
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