Rogers Centre Accommodates More Than Just Blue Jays
Blue Jays are not the only birds that reside at Rogers Centre, and we don’t mean the division rival Orioles are in town, either!
Specified Roofing is working on the Rogers Centre roof. While no two roofing jobs are exactly the same, and interesting things are bound to occur, our work at Rogers Centre is one of the most unique and challenging situations we have experienced.
Working on the Rogers Centre is not your average roofing job.
It is one of the most complex and unique roofing structures ever built. Projects like this need to be planned carefully, and there are many factors that go into the strategy and execution of roof maintenance and repairs of this magnitude. However, add some nesting Peregrine Falcons on the roof elevations to the equation, and you have a roofing job that’s gone to the birds.
Protecting Peregrines: Not part of our usual job requirements!
Our recent work at Rogers Centre involved accommodating nesting Peregrine Falcons – not something that you see on every roofing job. We also understand there are situations where our work and standard practices takes a back seat to a more important issue. In this case, the safety and well-being of the resident Peregrine Falcons took precedence. We’re very proud of our client for their admirable commitment to their resident Peregrine Falcon Friends.
One of the great things about this project was that our client was committed to causing the lowest possible impingement on the beautiful Peregrine Falcons. Our main concern was to not discomfit the birds any more than absolutely necessary. Specified Roofing was pleased to meet this challenge as we felt it speaks to our commitment to community and the environment.
Peregrine Falcons: An Endangered Species
Peregrine Falcons are considered a species at risk in Canada, as well as in the United States. The birds themselves, their nests, nest ledges, eggs, and hatchlings are protected by provincial and federal legislation.
One of the fortunate aspects of the project is that the Rogers Centre peregrines were successful in both nesting and producing at least two offspring last season. With the help of the great folks down at Rogers Centre, we were able to identify the nest ledge that the pair produced on. This made it very easy to help the peregrines by selecting an ideal nest relocation site for a nest box.
Committed To Doing the Right Thing: Working Collaboratively with Rogers & The Canadian Peregrine Falcon Foundation
The most important concerns were accommodating the nesting patterns while scheduling roofing maintenance work, impacting the natural environment and behavioural patterns of the falcons as little as possible. To ensure that Rogers and Specified were making the best possible decisions, we consulted the Canadian Peregrine Falcon Association to learn the best practices with regard to the birds continued wellbeing.
Working toward the most promising outcome meant carefully scheduling work to accommodate the birds, and also taking step to ensure the safety of our technicians. There were three main issues we were concerned about heading into the project:
1. When are they more territorial with regards to nesting?
2. When do they typically nest?
3. What kind of manufactured bird houses/nests can we install after roof work has been performed so that further nesting won’t damage our work?
Key Considerations
- We wanted to avoid activities above or close to nest ledges that would cause stress to the falcons.
- Stress can lead to abandonment, crushing of their eggs, killing of their young, or very aggressive posturing to the threat(s) itself.
- Legal ramifications with regards to the laws that protect the birds – a liability to all (especially that of the property owners and tradesmen / contractors) working around this species at nesting and family rearing times
- We needed to observe workplace safety. Falcons can be very aggressive if they feel threatened and can cause serious injury to technicians if they attack.
The Solution: Installation of a Nest Box
Installation of a nest box was the best option for this project. The box encouraged the peregrines to nest in a “better spot” away from the areas of the roof where work was being completed.
Each nest box and nest tray is custom built to suit the various nest ledge situations.
Other than the obvious, a nest box or nest tray helps to attract/coax a territorial pair of peregrines to a more suitable nesting spot; safer and healthier for the birds and out of the way of ongoing repair work.
A nest tray may also help keep the peregrines in a specific area of the facility (somewhat contained, especially the offspring) taking the birds’ attention away from other parts of the facility.
Timing was of the essence in this situation as the falcons select nesting sites by mid-February in Ontario.
That made it necessary to get the nest boxes in place as soon as possible in order to support the falcons’ nesting schedule. Roof maintenance in Toronto is now getting really interesting!
Overall, the nesting boxes created a win-win situation for everyone involved.. We would like to thank our client for their commitment to the wellbeing of the falcons and the Canadian Peregrine Falcon Association for their valuable educational assistance.
For our part, we thoroughly enjoyed meeting the challenge – learning about these magnificent birds – pleased to contribute in some small way to supporting this endangered species.