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Peregrine falcons delay USS Saratoga departure

By WTOP Staff

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — The Navy is ready to say goodbye to the USS Saratoga, but a family of peregrine falcons is not.

The falcons are nesting on board the decommissioned aircraft carrier in Newport, Rhode Island. The Navy has delayed the Saratoga’s final trip to Texas, where it will be dismantled, until the fledglings are ready to leave.

Naval Station Newport contacted the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service after the nest was discovered in the spring.

Their experts said the falcons should be done rearing their offspring by mid-August, and recommended waiting until then to move the ship. The peregrine falcon is a protected species under the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

The Saratoga is now scheduled to depart in late August. The contract to scrap it was awarded in May.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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