Ameren Missouri, Missouri Department of Conservation and World Bird Sanctuary team members are pooling their diverse resources to protect and preserve the heartland's wildlife. The regional Peregrine Falcon project is the latest result of these efforts.
Together, during March 2024, they installed a peregrine nesting box and high-definition camera at the Ameren Missouri Labadie Energy Center in Northeastern Franklin County, on the banks of the Missouri River.
"Peregrine falcons have made an incredible comeback from the brink of extinction," says Jeff Meshach, World Bird Sanctuary director. "Our camera provided a window into the nesting life of the world's fastest creature."
This livestream ended June 4, after welcoming five new chicks' first flights.
Historically, peregrines nested in small numbers on bluffs along the Mississippi, Missouri and Gasconade rivers. By the late 1800s, only a few pairs remained in the Show Me state. To save falcons from vanishing, ornithologists pioneered techniques starting in the 1970s for successfully breeding the birds in captivity and releasing their chicks into the wild. WBS restoration projects in Missouri since 1985 have been relatively successful, and populations of peregrines have been re-established.
Peregrines are still designated as a 'species of conservation concern' in Missouri, and formerly were extirpated and from much of North America. This is one of the species nearly eradicated due to side effects of DDT and pesticides.
Peregrines are cliff-dwellers, and have adapted to life on tall buildings and bridges. Breeding pairs usually mate for life. When hunting, peregrines dive on their prey at speeds 200-plus mph, making them the fastest animals on Earth.