Mary Hennen:
Peregrine Falcon Program in Illinois
Wednesday,
May 14 @ 7:00 p.m. CDT
Live-streamed on Zoom
ONLY
Send email to
peoriaaudubon@gmail.com for link
to live-stream
Join us for an evening with Mary Hennen, Assistant Birds
Collection Manager at the Chicago Field Museum, as she enlightens us
about Peregrine Falcons in Illinois and beyond.
According to Mary, "...as recently as 1960's, Peregrines had been
extirpated east of the Rockies... With the recovery of the species,
the Chicago Peregrine Program now directs it's focus towards
monitoring Peregrines in Illinois."
Already in 2025, a pair of Peregrine Falcons have been observed at
the "Falcon Enclosure" atop the 20-story Riverview Plaza (a.k.a.
Chase Bank) officeChase Bank in Peoria. The hope is for the
falcons to breed and raise a clutch in Peoria.

Peregrine Falcon atop "Chase Bank" in
Peoria - June 2024 (Photo: Dennis Endicott)
Above view of a Peregrine Falcon was from the RiverPlex to the roof
of the "Chase Bank" in Peoria, located about 0.3 miles away, by
attaching an iPhone to the eyepiece of a spotting scope at 70x, then
cropping the image.
The image below shows Pete Fenner observing the falcon from the
RiverPlex through a spotting scope. Note that the RiverPlex
Recreation and Wellness Center, due to its proximity of the Illinois
River, is listed on eBird as a
birding hotspot
in Peoria. 
Pete Fenner Viewing Above Falcon from
RiverPlex in Peoria - June 2024 (Photo: Dennis Endicott)
According to the
Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the Peregrine Falcon is:
-
"Powerful and fast-flying, the
Peregrine Falcon hunts medium-sized birds, dropping down on them
from high above in a spectacular stoop. They were virtually
eradicated from eastern North America by pesticide poisoning in
the middle 20th century."
-
After significant recovery
efforts, Peregrine Falcons have made an incredible rebound and
are now regularly seen in many large cities and coastal areas."
-
"People have trained falcons for
hunting for over a thousand years, and the Peregrine Falcon was
always one of the most prized birds. Efforts to breed the
Peregrine in captivity and reestablish populations depleted
during the DDT years were greatly assisted by the existence of
methods of handling captive falcons developed by falconers."
-
"The Peregrine Falcon is a very
fast flier, averaging 40-55 km/h (25-34 mph) in traveling
flight, and reaching speeds up to 112 km/h (69 mph) in direct
pursuit of prey. During its spectacular hunting stoop from
heights of over 1 km (0.62 mi), the peregrine may reach speeds
of 320 km/h (200 mph) as it drops toward its prey."
-
"The Peregrine Falcon is one of
the most widespread birds in the world. It is found on all
continents except Antarctica, and on many oceanic islands. The
oldest recorded Peregrine Falcon was at least 19 years, 9 months
old, when it was identified by its band in Minnesota in 2012,
the same state where it had been banded in 1992."
Mary Hennen will be speaking about the success of the Peregrine
Falcon recovery efforts in Illinois along with more fascinating
facts.
Meeting will be ONLY be available as a live-stream
- Send email to
peoriaaudubon@gmail.com
for link to live-stream
Keep watching our
Calendar of
Events for the latest updated information on meetings,
field trips and special events.
Peoria Audubon meetings always feature timely topics and
everyone is welcome. And, the meetings are always
FREE!
----------------------
Public is Always
Welcome
Meetings are
free and open to the public

Monthly
meetings of Peoria Audubon Society are held at
Forest Park
Nature Center in Peoria Heights.
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