Young Falcons Spreading Their Wings Over Iowa Newly fledging
peregrine falcons are wowing wildlife watchers across the state
as the 32 young are learning aerial combat and developing flight
skills under the watchful eye of their parents. Adult falcons
will continue defending and feeding their young during this
learning stage until self sufficiency is achieved in a few
weeks. In 2012, there are 15 territories, 11 known successful
nesting pairs that produced the 32 young. There are three
nesting pairs on bridges and it is not known the status of those
nests. Iowa’s first successful nesting pairs were at the U.S.
Bank in Cedar Rapids and the American Enterprise (formerly
American Republic) building in Des Moines in 1993.