Peregrine Falcons

The falcon is the top gun. It’s wowed mankind throughout history. The peregrine falcon was pretty much gone by the
1950’s.

Bob Anderson is the director of the
Raptor Resource Project. For 30 years the group has capped
and bred the falcons to try and restore the ones in danger. Now they’re managing a nest atop the U.S. Bank building in
downtown La Crosse.

“(The falcons) did lay four eggs, only two hatched,” Anderson says. “That’s actually a pretty average clutch.

“Today we put the bands on the babies that they’ll wear,” Anderson continues. “And we can read these band numbers
with a telescope. They’re about 21 days of age. By having these bands, we’re really learning a lot about the
population. For example, how far the babies go off to breed.

“We brought (peregrine falcons) to the brink of extinction through DDT, and now we brought it back,” Anderson says.
“It’s a conservation success. It’s a shining example of how we can correct environmental wrongs.”

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