Golden State Today

Nox, a young peregrine falcon from UC Berkeley, has been released back into the wild after recovering from a broken wing. The bird, whose full name is Equinox, took flight on Friday morning at an East Bay shoreline park, marking a new chapter in his life. Two days post-release, Nox had traveled approximately 80 miles from the release site.

The falcon was the last of four chicks to hatch on Berkeley's Campanile last spring. He was found injured in July and underwent surgery at the UC Davis Veterinary Hospital to repair his wing. Following rehabilitation at the UC Davis California Raptor Center and training with a falconer for a month, Nox was deemed ready for release.

Bill Ferrier, a veterinarian and former director of the California Raptor Center who worked with Nox during his recovery, expressed confidence in the bird's abilities. "He’ll be successful. The bird is a really good hunter," said Ferrier.

At the release site, Nox hesitated initially but eventually took off into a nearby tree. Mary Malec from Cal Falcons remarked on his strength and progress since his injury.

Nox's rehabilitation involved innovative techniques to minimize stress and human interaction. Dr. Michelle Hawkins explained that they used soft-sided dog crates instead of aviaries to prevent injury as falcons tend to get stressed in captivity.

Ferrier trained Nox using traditional falconry methods to overcome his fear of humans and enhance his hunting skills. Over time, Nox adapted well enough to live temporarily in Ferrier’s home environment alongside other animals.

As part of ongoing research efforts, Nox now carries a small solar-powered GPS transmitter backpack provided by experts from the American Eagle Research Institute. This device will track his movements and provide valuable data for conservation studies.

Sean Peterson of Cal Falcons highlighted this opportunity as rare due to regulatory constraints on wildlife research: "Any research on wild animals is strictly regulated by state and federal agencies."

The transmitter data will help researchers understand young peregrine falcons' migration patterns after leaving their parents’ territories—a critical aspect given that only about half survive their first year alone.

Peterson expressed hope that insights gained from tracking Nox would contribute towards better conservation strategies: “Hopefully, the data he provides will help us learn more about what we need to do to conserve the world around us.”