In a feathery feat atop Lansing's power stations, four newly hatched peregrine falcon chicks have been given a leg up on life thanks to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR), whose officials banded the birds Tuesday to track their movements and aid in the conservation efforts that have helped lift the species from the brink of local extinction, CBS News Detroit reports.
The eyasses, hailing from nests perched atop the Lansing Board of Water & Light (BWL) Eckert and Erickson Power Stations, screeched into this world between April 22-24 and May 4-5,, and their bands will play a critical role in future migration studies and hopefully keep their populations right on track, said BWL General Manager Dick Peffley who proudly stated, "We're proud to have helped – even in a small way – move the peregrine falcon off the endangered species list and help its population thrive," as per CBS News Detroit.
Parents Newman, an unbanded male, and Millie, a tagged female from Chicago's Millennium Park, along with another pair, Eckert and Ericka, have set a sky-high precedent at the power stations, with the site yielding over 80 eggs since 2004, a testament to the thriving conservation efforts in the area, according to the Lansing State Journal.
Meanwhile, the falcon chicks, named Sonic, Blue, Asher, and Marty, will carry more than just the DNR's initials on their bands, they are a symbol of hope for a species that once fluttered precariously close to fading into history, wildlife biologist Chad Fedewa expressed the significance of the downlisting from endangered to threatened, "It’s a good thing that they’re being downlisted, and efforts like this aren’t needed anymore," Fedewa said, as per WILX.
For those intrigued by the lives of these aerial speedsters, capable of darting through the skies at speeds exceeding 200 mph, BWL hosts a 24-hour live stream of the falcon nests, giving bird enthusiasts a bird's-eye view of the day-to-day drama of falcon parenting. Even as the DNR ends this chapter of its banding program, the stewardship from BWL ensures that these falcons will continue to grace Lansing's skies for years to come.
