Peregrine falcons have returned to Missouri skies thanks to a recovery program based in cities and at power plants.

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) says it will offer a free virtual program on falcons and their recovery from 6 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 16.

MDC says Missouri’s falcon recovery program recently led to a proposal to remove peregrines from the state endangered species list. Although, they will remain a species of conservation concern. The raptor’s population was ravaged in the 1900s by the pesticide DDT and habitat loss. A multi-state, decades-long recovery program has returned them to Midwestern cities as a nesting bird.

Nest boxes placed on skyscraper ledges and power plant smokestacks have attracted nesting pairs. Some falcons hatched and fledged in Missouri have returned with partners to start nests.

Though falcon numbers remain limited, they are slowly increasing. Biologists have banded young falcons hatched in the nests boxes and monitored their movements. The building ledges have mimicked their traditional nesting sites on high bluffs. Birds such as pigeons have provided a food source. Falcon recovery, however, would not have been possible without the cooperation and partnerships private businesses have provided.

The program is open to participants age 16 and older.

Registration is required. To register, visit <https://short.mdc.mo.gov/ZRQ>. To learn more about peregrine falcons, visit <https://short.mdc.mo.gov/ZqA>.