A University of Illinois Springfield professor and the Illinois Audubon Society are partnering to relocate endangered birds to the state.
UIS says twelve 6-week-old ospreys were transported to Decatur from Virginia this week.
The university tagged the birds at the Illinois Raptor Center in Decatur today.
They will later be released near Lake Shelbyville and along the Illinois River near Canton.
We're told, ospreys are fish-eating birds of prey that are listed as endangered in Illinois.
"I am so excited. This has been a long week. We finally get to this place where we can just finish and band the birds, make sure they're all healthy and happy and let them go," said Tih-Fen Ting, professor at UIS.
The Illinois Audubon Society is contributing $3,000 to transport the birds.
The story was reported by Fox Illinois on July 8, 2016.
Watch the story online.
