First prey successfully hunted may be small game such as dragonflies and butterflies, but will soon improve to include small birds. Dispersal from the hack site occurs in mid-August to early September as the falcons prepare for their migration south to Latin America. When the juvenile falcons return the following spring they will begin to moult into adult plumage Relased birds may return to their release site or the general area, or may wander hundreds of miles away. Mortality in the first year of life is very high. Those few peregrines that survive to old age may reach 12 to 15 years.
Most peregrines become sexually mature at two or three years of age.
Occasionally egg-laying and territorial behaviour may occur earlier. The Alberta Release program is one element in the integrated Canadian recovery program which focuses on restoring wild peregrine falcons throughout their historic range. Mass hacking has already been used successfully in New Brunswick, Quebec and Ontario to restore natural populations. National, provincial and territorial agencies and non-government organizations work together through the National Peregrine Falcon Recovery Team to plan and coordinate national recovery efforts.