Local volunteers work with peregrine falcons

With the popularity of the bald eagle web camera, sometimes the work of the Raptor Resource Project with peregrine falcons gets lost.  But the Iowa DNR Wildlife Diversity Program is highlighting the falcons in its latest newsletter.

The article on peregrine falcons makes note of the fact that the falcons, which used to be declared an "Endangered Species" in Iowa, this spring were upgraded to "Species of Special Concern" status.  The Iowa DNR says 21 young peregrine falcons chicks were hatched at ten nests in Iowa this year.

That includes a new cliff site near Lansing called "Dead Cow Bluff," where one peregrine falcon chick was fledged.  The article says Bob Anderson, Amy Reis and Dave Kester from Raptor Resource Project also reported two young peregrine falcons hatched at another Lansing cliff site and three young falcons at the Agri-Bunge Elevator in McGregor.