Forgotten falcons Demolition of Statesman Towers threatens habitat of feathered

[Donna]

Indiana

For over ten years, a peregrine falcon named Helga has made the Statesman Towers her home; but with the demolition date set for the towers in the summer of 2012, many students and faculty wonder what will become of her.

The Statesman Towers are being issued for demolition due to their old age. The College of Business and Education were originally built to be dorms during the Vietnam era. Because of excessive maintenance, the buildings are set to be destroyed this coming summer.

The peregrine falcon was at one time endangered and is now listed as a threatened species, Ruth Rukes, Administrative Assistant in the Dean's Office of the College of Business said. "The question is, what will happen to the birds that nest here when the buildings are taken down?"

The Statesman

Rukes recalled walking the campus two years ago when she heard strange noises. It sounded like a bunch of little kids, Rukes said. Rukes soon realized, however, a falcon perched in a tree.

According to the band on her leg, Helga hatched in Minnesota. She can be spotted atop the Statesman Towers, which are home to the College of Business and the College of Education.

With the demolition of College of Education and Business in plan, Helga may decide to move her nesting location as well.

Rukes says that when she sees Helga around campus, she is usually coupled with her mate, and she believes that the male is the smaller of the two.

Although the Statesman Towers will no longer remain on campus in the coming year, Rukes said she "hopes they continue to nest in the area and that it doesn't affect the future of their species."

The falcons may decide to make a new nest somewhere else on campus, or they may seek a new a different building within town.

"The Star building in downtown area is higher than the towers here," Rukes said. "They may have falcons, but I don't know."

Peregrine Falcons are considered birds of prey; they have been clocked diving for prey at speeds up to 200 mph. The peregrine falcons of ISU often perch upon the Statesman Towers in search of prey, and when they spot it they dive after it, catching it by surprise. The falcon's diet mainly consists of other small birds that nest in the area.

"Making people aware of these types of birds, especially if they are endangered or threatened, is important" said Rukes. "And it's really neat to see."

Rukes and her husband enjoy bird watching, and she refers to herself as a "birder". They often come to the Statesman Towers trying to catch a glimpse of Helga or her mate.

"It's something that you just don't see every day," Rukes said. "It's an exciting thing."

[MAK]

  Why can't they just leave them !?