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Their environmental significance aside, Falcons are a birdwatchers’
dream because of the top speeds they reach in their hunt for
food. Falconry is an ancient sport, dating back to China 2000
B.C. You will even find falcon images in the hieroglyphics of
Egypt’s pyramids.
Many falcon species are endangered. Pesticides have played a
major role in their decline. The 1947
introduction of DDT in the United States (PDF File), for
example, is to blame for the sharp decline in peregrine falcon
populations the country witnessed by the 1960s. Poisoned female
falcons would lay eggs whose shells were too thin, and often
broke upon incubation. Many countries, to which falcons
migrate during the winter, continue to use DDT, and so the ecological
consequences of this toxin are still very much with us today.
To challenge the epidemic, biologists began breeding the falcons
in captivity, on cliffs and building rooftops. Though not a
perfect recovery system, this practice has meant increased populations
in many areas. Thanks to efforts like these, species such as
the peregrine may soon be moved from the “endangered”
to the less grim “threatened” list.
The fascination with these birds of prey has only grown over
time, and modern technology allows for a constant lens into
falcon life during nesting season: falcon cams are located around
the world, many of them linked to the web through live audio
and/or video cameras. Where there are falcons to be found, there’s
bound to be a camera. Everywhere (but Antarctica!), from Mexico
to Mongolia to the Czechoslovakia.
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  Featured
Cam:
The Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Falcons
See
and hear the falcons now!
 Information
about the Harrisburg Falcon Cam:
This live audio-video feed lets you enter the life of two Peregrine
Falcons who have made their home on the 15th floor ledge of
the Rachel Carson Building in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
Wondering when the first egg was laid in 2001? Or when the chicks
first flew in 2000? Find out in our Harrisburg
Falcon Chronology!
Videos of the Harrisburg
Falcons.
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