MARQUETTE, Mich. (WLUC) - UP Health System - Marquette is working alongside the Michigan DNR to help an endangered species.
In 2021, the U.P. Health System agreed to allow the Michigan DNR to place a recovery box on the roof of their building. These boxes work as an alternative nesting location for Peregrine Falcons.
Wildlife Biologist Brian Roell said the box is providing a safe location for the falcons to raise their young.
“It’s providing that nesting habitat that just doesn’t exist anywhere else in Marquette,” Roell said. “So last year, they raised two chicks here at this site. We didn’t band at this site because I didn’t want to disturb them on their first year at this box and then this year they raised one chick.”
The Peregrine Falcon is listed as an endangered species in Michigan.
The DNR attaches bands to the falcons that enter the box. This way, researchers can tell if a bird returns or if a new one shows up. Doing this along with monitoring known nesting sites helps the DNR monitor the population.
Roell said conservation efforts like this have drastically improved the chances that Peregrine Falcons survive.
“This was a species that was destined to be extinct and it is now thriving to the point where it was taken off the federal list,” Roell said. “It’s still endangered in many states, and it happens to still be endangered here in Michigan.”
Director of Plant Operations Cheryl Bollero-Oberstar said the hospital accepted the box after moving into its new facility.
“It’s just a collaboration,” Bollero-Oberstar said. “I feel that it was an opportunity and we tried it, and we actually got falcons and so it worked out very well for us.”
Roell said another recovery box can be found at the Landmark Inn. He also said the Michigan DNR has been monitoring Peregrine Falcon populations for more than 25 years.
Click here to see photos and more information about U.P. Health System Marquette’s collaboration efforts with the Michigan DNR.
