Peregrine Falcons

A love story for the ages started atop UC Berkeley's Campanile in 2016, when two peregrine falcons (Falco peregrinus), Annie and Grinnell (named after naturalist Annie Montague Alexander and zoologist Joseph Grinnell, respectively) established territory on the historic bell tower together. Typically, peregrine falcons nest on cliffs for protection from predators and humans, but the Campanile protected Annie and Grinnell just as well. Annie, the female falcon, and Grinnell, the male, crafted a makeshift nesting site from old sandbags, and later upgraded to a nesting platform to prevent their eggs from rolling away. Peregrine eggs usually begin to hatch 32-33 days after the third egg is laid. In 2017, their first two chicks Fiat and Lux (named for UC Berkeley’s motto Fiat Lux or, Let There be Light) were born, and the pair went on to have a total of 13 chicks before the beloved Grinnell was killed by a car in March of 2022. Annie briefly found a new peregrine partner — Alden, who helped her incubate her eggs prior to his disappearance in November 2022 — before eventually settling down with her current mate, Lou. The pair welcomed 3 chicks in April 2023 and continue their romance and family building atop the Campanile.