Make wishtv.com your home page

Peregrine falcons to get help finding new Terre Haute home

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (AP) – Two peregrine falcons that recently lost their western Indiana nesting box are getting some help finding new digs.

Indiana State University crews in December removed the raptors’ nesting box from atop the campus’ Statesman Towers, which are slated for demolition.

A new nesting box was installed on downtown Terre Haute’s privately owned Sycamore Building, but so far the 6-year-old male and his mate haven’t used it.

ISU Biology professor Steven Lima says a falcon decoy that’s been ordered will be placed on the birds’ new nesting box once it arrives.

Lima says he hopes that when the falcons see the decoy “it will really tick them off” and they’ll fly over to that would-be competitor and discover their new nesting box.

The pair’s old nesting box twice produced successful hatchings.