the Rural Image Cooperative

Maverick is originally from Columbus, Ohio but prefers to produce his offspring up in Canton, an hour and forty minute trip by car. The trip is quicker for Maverick, as he prefers to fly. He was born in 2000 and by 2003 his first girl was born. They named her Lady Justice. By 2004, Maverick fathered four more offspring but it was 2005 through 2009 that he found his true love. Priscilla caught his attention, maybe it was her long neck, or the way her dark eyes scanned his face slowly, meaningful; we can never know for sure. But what we do know is that in their four blissful years together, they added 18 little ones to the planet. 2010 was a bad year; Priscilla and Maverick ended their relationship, possibly due to the stress of raising such a large family. Maverick went back to is wilder ways and fathered 4 chicks with and unknown female. Possibly, she was simply a rebound to Priscilla, his one true love.

Every year Maverick’s mischief is celebrated by the good people of Canton, Ohio. Maverick prefers to birth his youngsters at the Chase Tower Canton Club on the corner of Market Avenue and Tuscarawas Street smack dab in the middle of downtown. He’s a bit of showman, Maverick, nesting his little home on the ledge of the 14^th floor. Maverick is a Peregrine Falcon, and he and his multitude of chicklets were considered an endangered species back in the 1970’s. This status is what kick started all the fuss these dedicated Cantonians raise each spring when the falcon’s eggs hatch. The Ohio Division of Wildlife are a sentimental bunch, so each year after the hatchlings prove their viability, they are displayed for the public in a sort of group birthday party. This year the little ones poked themselves into the world on May 1 and about 100 people watched the banding ceremony. Maverick has flown the coop, but is expected to continue to do his part to remove the Peregrine Falcon off the endangered list, bird by bird.

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