The Department of Environmental Protection announced this week the blue-banded male fledgling lost his battle with trichomoniasis and had to be euphonized.

At some point after the banding event in May and before fledging, his windpipe was perforated by a bone, making him more vulnerable to the infection.

On a brighter note, his siblings, the red-banded female and the yellow-banded male have been seen throughout the city, flying in tandem with the adults in what can be described as advanced flying lessons.

The fledglings can still be seen at the nest ledge occasionally, however, the more proficient they become at flying and eventually independent hunting, the less we’ll see of them.

6/24/2005