Final two falcons released in Rapid City - KOTA Territory News

Final two falcons released in Rapid City

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Two more Peregrine Falcons are flying over Rapid City, bringing the total to 16. Athena and Dakota are two rehabilitated female falcons that were painted up, and released in downtown Rapid.

Peregrine Release Coordinator Janie Fink says the birds use to be native to this area and hopes they will once again call the Black Hills, home. "These programs of reintroduction of peregrines are very successful across the country and we hope that in a few years after these young birds are released they will return to the Rapid City area and take up nesting for the first time in nearly 50 years," said Fink.

According to Fink, the city environment is a good place to reintroduce the falcons, but there are also some modern hazards such as car collisions and poisoning.

Peregrines have a fairly high fatality rate Fink says; so when they release 20 birds a year they hope at least two will survive and make it back to Rapid City. Athena and Dakota are the final two to be released this year.

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