Macomb County Peregrine Falcons: Experts hope to protect ‘threatened' species
The Brief
Three Peregrine Falcons have made Macomb County their new home, and experts are hoping to keep them protected.
Danielle Durham with the Michigan Hawking Club says they hope to ensure the falcons stay off the endangered species list.
Now they've been reclassified as 'threatened.'
SOUTHFIELD, Mich. (FOX 2) - A trio of Peregrine Falcons have decided to make downtown Mt. Clemens their home, and researchers are keeping a close eye on them.
Big picture view
Experts like master falconer Danielle Durham with the Michigan Hawking Club tell FOX 2 they hope to ensure the falcons stay off the endangered species list.
"Peregrines in and of themselves are just awesome birds," Durham said. "They are the fastest animal on the planet. I don't just mean the fastest bird. They are the fastest animal on the planet."
Recently, a few falcons have made a home in downtown Mt. Clemens, high atop the old Macomb County building, and their three babies were banded over Memorial Day weekend.
"It was fun. It was quick," said Durham. "They don't turn the air-conditioning on in the weekends, so it was a little warm. But yeah, we were able to band three healthy chicks, two females and a male."
Local perspective
Durham was one of the officials who banded Monarch, Warthog, and Czwig. She says the club paid for them and put different color bands that can be seen with a spotting scope.
"It's not like a radio transmitter where you don't see where it is," she said. "But bird watching is such a big thing that most people, and with social media, most people will post 'Hey, I found this bird and it has this band. Who is it? Can you help me?"
That way, they're tracked. Durham told FOX 2 over a year ago they were considered endangered, almost gone from the Great Lakes region.
But now they've been reclassified as 'threatened.'
"Threatened means the population isn't where they'd like it to be," she said. "They might be really uncommon, really rare to see. They're not reproducing the way they should be."
So the goal is to get that population up and get them thriving in the wild and in cities.
"They help keep all the animals in check. They eat birds, which is great for the city because we have lots of pigeons and small birds like that they can eat. So they're pivotal in the food chain," she said.
What you can do
If you would like to see them, there's a live webcam. You can view it by tapping here.
You can also learn more about the Peregrine Falcons of Macomb County by clicking the link here.
The Source
FOX 2 spoke with master falconer Danielle Durham of the Michigan Hawking Club and used details from the Macomb County website for information in this report.
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