In the USA, Canada, Germany and Poland, Wildlife services in Peregrine Falcon recovery teams breed the species in captivity.[64] The chicks are usually fed through a chute or with a hand puppet mimicking a Peregrine's head, so they cannot see to imprint on the human trainers.[42] Then, when they are old enough, the rearing box is opened, allowing the bird to train its wings. As the fledgling gets stronger, feeding is reduced forcing the bird to learn to hunt. This procedure is called hacking back to the wild.[65] To release a captive-bred falcon, the bird is placed in a special cage at the top of a tower or cliff ledge for some days or so, allowing it to acclimate itself to its future environment.[65] Worldwide recovery efforts have been remarkably successful.[64] The widespread restriction of DDT use eventually allowed released birds to breed successfully.[42] The Peregrine Falcon was removed from the U.S. Endangered Species list on August 25, 1999.[42] The population studies and recovery plan devised by Dr. Richard M. Bond and William Griffee are considered by the Cooper Ornithological Society and the Pergrine Fund to have been critical to the recovery effort for the Peregrine Falcon population in the United States.[66]
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