In the 1950s and 60s, Peregrine Falcons were nearly wiped out thanks to DDT. There were no breeding pairs east of the Mississippi and there weren't enough birds for them to be able to repopulate naturally, so captive breeding plans were started. These have been very successful, to the point that Peregrine Falcons have been removed from the endangered species list. A by-product of these breeding programs are the Peregrine Falcons of Chicago.
Peregrine Falcons are naturally cliff dwellers, but they have adapted quite well to city life. Buildings substitute nicely for the cliffs they enjoy in their natural habitats. As recently as 1990, there was only one breeding pair in Illinois, and it produced no young. Now Chicago-area breeding pairs are located in Waukegan, Evanston, Edgewater, Uptown, Lake View, Wacker Drive, Metropolitan Correctional Center, UIC, Pilsen, Lawndale, Hyde Park and Calumet. The City of Chicago has designated the Peregrine Falcon its official bird.
This site has some great photos of the Uptown birds, Zoom and GG. More on the history of the project can be found here.
UPDATE (8 1/2 months later!) :
After reading this post at Wizbang!, I was compelled to do a little follow up research on Chicago's Peregrine Falcons. As it turns out, Chicago Wilderness Magazine has an in-depth story on the Chicago Peregrines that is worth reading.
I was quite surprised that not all bird lovers welcomed the falcons:
Not everyone warmed to the idea of predatory birds in the neighborhood. When the plan was announced in the press, letters accused Mayor Harold Washington of bringing "Hitlerite" falcons to prey on "innocent, beautiful birds" and make pigeon lovers miserable. Any mayor who would do such a thing, wrote one critic, was "the meanest, meanest man in Chicago".
My wife works in a Loop high rise and has, on more than one occasion seen a Peregrine on the ledge right outside her window. She always regarded a visit by the falcons as a pleasant occurence. I wonder how she'll feel now that the birds have been outed as National Socialists.
Note: Reposted to get this out of the archives and back on to the front page.
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