Helping falcon nests at Champlain Bridge
The Samuel de Champlain Bridge in Montreal, Quebec is a 3.4 km, six-lane, high-level bridge with a dedicated two-lane transit corridor that is currently being retrofitted to accommodate the Réseau Express Metropolitan light rail transit system.
A four-meters-wide multi-use path with scenic lookouts at strategic locations provides active transportation options for the public. The bridge crosses the St. Lawrence River and connects the City of Montreal to the City of Brossard on the south shore.
It may seem unusual, but falcons like to nest in bridge structures because of the height and access to water. Outside of nesting season, peregrine falcons are known to travel widely – their name, in fact, comes from the Latin word ‘peregrinus’, meaning ‘wanderer’. Some nesting sites have been in continuous use for hundreds of years, occupied by successive generations of falcons.
The species is considered vulnerable in Quebec, and the bridge’s management, is working to help the birds, installing nesting boxes, setting up a safety perimeter around work sites during nesting periods, monitoring the birds regularly, and intervening when necessary.
