Endangered Peregrine Falcons have established a breeding nest at the GVSU’s Eberhard Center Downtown. It’s the first time since a nesting box was installed on the building eight years ago. One of the professors keeping an eye on the falcons says they hope to use the nest as an educational resource.
“It’s pretty exciting for us, because we can use this as a teaching tool, because they’re charismatic birds, because they’re birds of prey and because they’ve had a history in which their population has declined, but rebounded.”
Grand Valley State University, professor of biology, Michael Lombardo, is already looking to the fall as he talks about what’s next with Endangered Peregrine Falcons that are currently breeding on a nesting box located at Grand Valley’s Eberhard Center.
“And, so students are always interested in those sort of charismatic species, so now they get a close up look at them and it maybe it will excite some of them to pursue careers in ornithology and biology.”
Lombardo says this is the first time the Falcons have used the nesting box since it was installed 8 years ago.
“We were approached in 2008 by John Will who was an avid birder and Peregrine Falcon enthusiast in Grand Rapids about installing a nest box on the Eberhard Center in downtown Grand Rapids. The Peregrines had been nesting on top of the Courthouse and he wanted to provide additional opportunities.”
A grant has allowed Lombardo and fellow biology professor, Todd Aschenbach to install a webcam to monitor the falcons… which is what allowed them to confirm they’re nesting this year.
“The last time that someone looked there were three or four eggs that the female was incubating; and those eggs will probably hatch fairly soon. This is significant because it’s a breeding pair that using the nest box and so breeding individuals usually return to next sites so there’s a good chance they’ll return next year, especially if they’re successful.”
Peregrine Falcons were initially driven to the brink of extinction the 1960’s due to the use of the pesticide, D-D-T. In 1972 they were added to the federal endangered species list. The birds were reintroduced in Grand Rapids in 1986 and typically use cliffs, bridges and buildings, like the Eberhard Center, as nest sites. Lombardo says they will continue to watch and monitor the falcons via the webcam in the fall.
