A trio of Peregrine Falcons that have been nesting atop 1130 S. Michigan Ave. and seem to be bringing the Chicago Blackhawks some good luck were branded Monday.
Ever since they were born, the Hawks have been steamrolling toward the Stanley Cup. And the Peregrine Society is allowing the birds -- two males and one female -- to be named after star players.
"So far I think the boy's names will be Kane and Buff," wrote Bill Van Senus, an Assistant Manger with D&K Living, which manages the building.
A unisex name is being considered for the third. Niemi, perhaps?
According to the building's website, which had a live Internet camera trained on the birds, the newborns' parents have been in the neighborhood for three years.
Peregrines were once a federally endangered species. By 2007, Illinois Peregrines totalled over 20 pairs. Spread throughout the state, the Chicagoland area has the highest concentration, according to the Field Museum.
Banding the birds provides data for research and management projects. Individual identification of birds makes possible studies of dispersal and migration, behavior and social structure, life-span and survival rate, reproductive success and population growth.
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