Falcons make home atop high-rise bank

CINCINNATI, April 6 (UPI) -- An office building in Cincinnati has two tenants who hope to raise a family in a home on the roof.

Princess and Powerhouse, a pair of peregrine falcons, have four eggs in their nest, the Cincinnati Enquirer reports. The Division of Wildlife of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources set up the nest at the PNC Building.

Peregrine falcons, exterminated in eastern states by DDT that caused a thinning of eggshells, have been making a comeback since use of the insecticide was restricted. Princess and Powerhouse are one of 39 pairs nesting this year in boxes provided by the state. Other pairs may have made their own nests.

Princess is no stranger to Cincinnati. She and a mate used the PNC Building nest in 2002. Powerhouse was born that year in a Division of Wildlife nest in a smokestack at a power station, the newspaper said.

Now, Princess spends most of her time on the nest while Powerhouse keeps watch nearby. He also sits on the nest when Princess needs a break.

"He keeps a constant vigil to protect her," Todd Channer, a graphic designer and volunteer falcon monitor, told the Enquirer.