NEWS FROM THE DELAWARE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL
March 4, 2010
Vol. 40, No. 61
For more information contact Anthony Gonzon, 302-531-5165 or Karen Bennett 302-739-9912, Division of Fish and Wildlife; or Beth Shockley, Public Affairs, 302-739-9902
DNREC to provide bird’s eye view of Wilmington’s resident peregrine falcons via new “Falcon Cam”
Wilmington’s own peregrine falcons are the stars on DNREC’s newest live streaming web cam, the “Falcon Cam,” now available for viewing on DNREC’s website: www.dnrec.delaware.gov.
The cam, funded by partners the Delmarva Ornithological Society (DOS) and the DuPont Clear Into the Future program, is mounted above the nesting box of the resident pair, located on the 19th floor of the Brandywine Building in downtown Wilmington.
“Thanks to this great partnership among DOS, DuPont’s Clear Into the Future program and DNREC, we will use innovative technology to enable people around the world to learn about the remarkable life cycle of Delaware’s own peregrine falcons,” said DNREC Secretary Collin O’Mara.
“This is the next best thing to actually seeing peregrines in the wild,” added Karen Bennett, Program Manager of DNREC’s Natural Heritage, Endangered Species and Private Lands Programs. “It’s better, in fact, because you can see them nesting, feeding and raising their young without disturbing them. Now, we can all capture the natural wonder and daily drama of these birds anywhere we have an internet connection.”
Peregrine falcons, among the fastest animals on earth, were removed from the federal Endangered Species list in 1999. The Wilmington peregrines are one pair of only five confirmed in Delaware. They’ve been located on the Brandywine Building for about 10 years, but in Delaware since 1993.
