Peregrine falcons have recovered from near-extinction following organochlorine pesticide bans, and are now thriving in urban environments where welfare management of nest sites is increasingly important.
Peregrine welfare in urban environments includes risks from window strikes, power line collisions, secondary rodenticide poisoning from urban pigeon and rat control, and deliberate persecution. Fledgling peregrines that fall from high urban nest sites require specialist rescue and rehabilitation. Egg theft — which still occurs despite heavy legal penalties — destroys entire breeding attempts and causes distress to adult birds who search for their stolen clutch. The welfare of urban peregrine populations depends on a combination of legal enforcement against persecution, public monitoring schemes that deter nest interference, and wildlife-friendly pest control in the urban landscape.