The SDOT has heartily thrown its weight behind efforts to ensure that the peregrine falcon, once imperiled by ecological challenges, continues to recover. Teaming up with Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Urban Raptor Conservancy's Seattle Peregrine Project, SDOT is playing a crucial part in bridging the gap between urban development and wildlife preservation.
Bearing witness to a success story, the initiative to protect peregrine falcon nests has proven fruitful atop structures like the West Seattle High-Rise Bridge and the Ballard Bridge. According to information from the SDOT Blog, nest boxes, established since the late 1990s, have yielded new generations of falcons, particularly since 2005. In 2011, a family of falcon chicks was discovered, evidence of the thriving wildlife in the heart of our city's massive infrastructure.
The recent operations have been no less impressive. Early this month, the SDOT's crew, alongside Urban Raptor Conservancy leaders, undertook the delicate task of banding baby birds known as eyasses. This exercise aids in tracking the falcons' migratory patterns and movements. In close cooperation with conservationists Patti Loesche and Ed Deal, the SDOT's bridge teams are actively involved in the preservation efforts.
