CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – Four peregrine falcon eggs were found scattered on the old US Bank building in downtown Cedar Rapids in April.
Their rescuers believed there was no way they could ever hatch.
The Iowa Raptor Project stepped in to help the eggs. They never thought the eggs would be viable, but they still tried.
The team built a nesting box and placed it on top of the building. They moved the eggs into it and two of the four hatched to their surprise.
Leaders with the Iowa Raptor Project are calling the birds miracles, and they’re now roughly 6 weeks old.
At one point, peregrine falcons were considered an endangered species in the US.
Their population has since rebounded, but there still aren’t many around.
“It’s such a remarkable bird, considered the fastest animal on earth. Conservatively, it can reach terminal speeds of 200 miles per hour, some have said up to 240 miles per hour,” said David Conrads, the director of the Iowa Raptor Project.
The team will continue to monitor the young falcons and their families as they grow.
The birds can now be seen flying and perching around the U.S. Bank building.
TV9 got to see one of the young ones flying around on Tuesday, but we couldn’t spot the second baby.
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