"Well, we're living here in Allentown
And it's hard to keep a good man down…" – Billy Joel
Allentown, Pennsylvania, made infamous by the Billy Joel song of the same name, now has another reason to be proud. While other species have recently been declared extinct, such as the Caribbean Monk Seal, a pair of Peregrine Falcons seems to be successfully raising four chicks at the top of Allentown's tallest building. You can see how the chicks are doing for yourself at Falcon Cam, set up by a local news station, WFMZ. This is the first time the bird of prey has made their nest in the area in about 13 years (which in Peregrine Falcon years is about 100). Some bird lovers estimate that there hasn't been a successful hatching in the area for about 50 years.
Efforts To Bring Species Back
Unlike what happened to the Caribbean Monk Seal, where repeated concerns from scientists were ignored, Allentown jumped right away to help bring the Peregrines back. The Pennsylvania Power & Light (PP&L) Building cleared a space at the skyscraper's twenty-first floor so falcon experts could go to work. The energy company for which the building is named cooperated with local conservation groups to map out and continue the falcon conservation program.
It was hoped that by releasing young Peregrine Falcons from the PP&L Building, the young falcons might remember the spot as a nice chunk of real estate. They began releasing young falcons off of the 23rd floor in 1995 and built a nest box in 1996. And now the effort has come home to roost, so to speak.
Happy Families
The female Peregrine Falcon laid her four huge eggs in late April. After less than the usual 31 days of incubation, the highly anticipated chicks couldn’t wait to meet their adoring (if hidden) public. Two eggs hatched on May 13 and then the other two over the course of the next couple of days.
The chicks (dubbed "The Peeps", named after the iconic candy made in the area) were named in a contest held by WFMZ. The winners received tickets to the local fair, tickets to a concert and (most importantly) an entire case of Peeps. The winning names were Peepers, Allen, Perry and Falco. The chicks are still in their white downy coats, but are expected to be flying by July.
Here’s hoping that by seeing one happy family, more passing Peregrine pair will decide to park their pinfeathers in Allentown again.
