Peregrine falcons recovered from near-extinction caused by DDT pesticide through conservation intervention and have adapted remarkably to urban environments, raising new welfare considerations.
Peregrine falcon recovery represents one of conservation most inspirational success stories — a species brought back from the brink by targeted pesticide regulation and captive breeding. Urban adaptation has created a new set of welfare considerations: vehicle strikes on high-speed urban roads, window collisions, and exposure to urban rat poisons through pigeon prey cause preventable mortality. Wildlife rescue organizations provide rehabilitation for injured urban peregrines. The ongoing monitoring of urban nest sites, combined with vehicle strike prevention infrastructure and rat poison regulations, supports individual peregrine welfare in the human-modified environments they now occupy.