They're the fastest member of the animal kingdom, but experts say the peregrine falcon's fight to claw back from the brink of extinction isn’t progressing fast enough.
The bird of prey became an endangered species in the 1960s in many areas across the world because of the widespread use of certain pesticides, especially DDT.
And while extensive bans on the pesticide in the 1970s, and innovative nest protections -- including the placement of man-made nest boxes on buildings and towers across the continent -- helped boost their numbers, there are still only 3,300 in North America.
"(The peregrine falcon) is still in its recovery, it has yet to recover to historical levels as a result of decontamination and a lot of environmental challenges," Mark Nash, the executive director of the Canadian Peregrine Foundation, told CTV News.
The foundation's headquarters in Toronto is one of the many buildings across the country with a peregrine-friendly roof. And this year, the organization welcomed a new falcon into the family.
"We have a nest box now on the roof and they were successful this year in producing a … baby male peregrine falcon," said Nash.
The eyas is named Atlas, and he went for first checkup on Monday at the Lakeridge Hospital in Oshawa, Ont.
Hospital officials tagged, weighed and weighed the chick in hopes of gathering more information about the recovery of the peregrine falcon population.
"What they're trying to do in both Canada and the United States (is) monitor that the peregrines are successfully increasing in population," said Kevin Empey, the CEO of Lakeridge Health.
The lightning-quick bird, which can reach speeds of over 322 kilometres per hour during steep dives, are also gaining fame for their webcam appearances. Many of the man-made nest box that have been set up on rooftops and in towers in cities across the world feature cameras that have captured precious family moments.
In April, a peregrine falcon named Chroma, which set up shop above CTV Kitchener's studio, was recorded taking its first flight.
The Canadian Peregrine Foundation and Waterloo Region Nature built a nesting box for a family of falcons in the building's microwave tower, and have been monitoring the family's progress ever since.
But this spring there has been a setback, as peregrine falcon experts say that cold and damp weather in parts of the continent has prevented many eggs from hatching. This has led to the deaths of hundreds of unborn birds and a mortality rate of 80 per cent.
Experts say the species has yet to land on solid ground.
"They're still in such small numbers (that) they need to be protected," said Dale Ingrey, a spokesman for Waterloo Region Nature.
With a report from CTV's Peter Akman
