A rare bird that is considered threatened in America will be released into the wild later today at Moraine State Park.
“Nike” is a peregrine falcon that was injured at birth near Canton, Ohio in 2019. Carol Holmgren is a falconer with the Tamarack Wildlife Center in Saegertown and helped Nike’s rehab.
“Just like humans that have concussions, rest and lack of exertion helps the brain heal as well as the spine. That was the protocol and that’s what we did,” Homgren said. “We treat concussion patients quite a bit, either from window collisions or impact with car vehicles.”
And impacts happen at insanely fast speeds according to Holmgren.
“A peregrine falcon can fly as fast as 240 miles per hour,” she said.
Now after two years of rehabilitation, Nike is ready to return to the skies at 10 a.m. today but just because she is being released at Moraine doesn’t mean experts expect her to stay in the area.
“We’re not returning her to an area that has peregrine falcons, but it’s a good location for her to branch out and find her own spot,” Holmgren said.
After being listed as endangered in 1972, reintroduction efforts by the Pennsylvania Game Commission and other organizations has resulted in modest population expansion and a designation as “threatened”.
