This is some additional information that the Falcon Squad researched. We are glad to see so many students interested in this project.
GENERAL INFORMATION-
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Falco peregrinus
NESTING PLACE: Cliffs, tall buildings, along rivers, sometimes trees, steep banks, flat ground.
DIET: Other birds, such as seagulls, pigeons, etc...
FALCON POPULATION: During the 1980's the falcon population had a major decline in Minnesota and surrounding states due to a chemical called DDT 1980's. However, DDT has since been outlawed and the falcon population is steadily increasing.
INFORMATION ON DDT: DDT is a colorless insecticide used on crops. The falcons ate animals that were infected by DDT and the chemical affected the preregrine's reproduction by making their eggshells very soft and brittle. The eggshells were often broken and the falcon population dramatically dropped.
We have been out of the classroom most of the week doing outdoor survival activities and things have been too busy to have created a longer document. Next week we will post our estimate of the distances between the summer and winter homes of our falcons. Our plans also include providing you with information that we gathered via a conference call with the inventor of the falcon radio transmitters.
That's all for now, but we look forward to contiuning to help you follow the falcons.
The Falcon Squad 0535jajh@informs.k12.mn.us Rochester, Minnesota USA