University of Michigan Reveals Names of Two New Peregrine Falcon Chicks

Two peregrine falcon chicks born at the University of Michigan now have new names. 

The University Record reported that the chicks will be called Valiant and Victoria.

When the male and female peregrine falcons hatched on the top of the university's North Quad, the university, in collaboration with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, sought name recommendations from the Ann Arbor community.

According to The University Record, the university received more than 1,400 submissions.

Peregrine falcons were first spotted in Southeast Michigan and Ann Arbor during the early 2000s, according to a report by MLive. Some had been perching on the Burton Memorial Tower on the university's Central Campus instead of traditional nesting sites on the sides of cliffs and in the mountains.

The University Record noted that university officials created nesting boxes on top of the hospital and North Quad in 2011 and 2015, respectively.

Previous names chosen for the peregrine falcons born on the university's campus include Ann for Ann Arbor. Jim and Lloyd were named after former University of Michigan football coaches Jim Harbaugh and Lloyd Carr.

The Nature Conservancy noted that peregrine falcons were on the cusp of extinction in the United States during the 1970s. Only 324 pairs existed in the nation by 1975, primarily due to mortality resulting from the use of the insecticide DDT.

Following a successful peregrine falcon recovery effort, the birds were no longer considered endangered in 1999. The American Bird Conservancy reports that approximately 40,000 peregrine falcons exist in North America today.