Science & Conservation
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Science & Consevation
Vermont Peregrine Falcon Recovery Project
Considered the fastest animal in the world,
the peregrine falcon, Falco peregrinus, is a medium-sized
hawk with long pointed wings and a streamlined body. The peregrine
falcon is one of the first species to be listed under the
federal Endangered Species Act, and the species’ recovery
is one of the Act’s greatest success stories.
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| © Steve Faccio |
Peregrines are magnificent and powerful
birds and for many inspire a sense of awe and freedom. The
name “peregrine” comes from the Latin in reference
to the birds’ wandering flights over the sea and to
their secretive nesting sites. Peregrine falcons mostly nest
on sheer cliffs, buildings, or bridges that provide horizontal
ledges for nesting and protect nests from predators, weather,
and human disturbance. Their diet consists almost entirely
of other birds.
Peregrine falcon populations suffered
significant declines beginning in the 1940s largely due to
the pesticide DDT. The last wild adult in the East was observed
in Vermont in 1970. That same year, the peregrine falcon was
listed as a federally protected species. With help from the
protections garnered through the ESA, an intensive captive
breeding and release (hacking) program, and the banning of
DDT in North America, the peregrine was successfully re-established
in eastern U.S. In Vermont, 93 young birds were released at
three hack sites from 1982-87. The first peregrine pair returned
to Vermont in 1984 and nested successfully the following year.
The peregrine falcon has returned to the
eastern US and its recovery in Vermont has reached its final
stages with a record 38 pairs in 2008. Removed from the federal
list of endangered and threatened species in 1999 and the
Vermont State list of endangered species in the spring of
2005, peregrines are considered a recovered species in Vermont,
but their continued success is dependent on monitoring, nest
site protection, and public education.
In partnership with the Vermont
Fish and Wildlife Department, Audubon Vermont is coordinating
peregrine falcon monitoring and management efforts. Biologists
Margaret Fowle and Kathy Wohlfort ware working with volunteers
and partners to monitor and protect nesting cliffs during
the breeding season. Occupied cliffs are monitored throughout
the state from early April through late July. These monitoring
efforts attempt to locate nests, determine incubation, hatching
and fledging dates, and count the number of young fledged
at each site. Access to some cliffs is restricted during the
breeding season so as to minimize human disturbance.
The peregrine falcon has entered a previously
uncharted phase in wildlife restoration – sustaining
the species’ recovery long after its removal from the
Endangered Species List. Although we celebrate the peregrine’s
success, short and long term threats to the species’
viability remain. There has been evidence of elevated levels
of contaminants peregrine eggs from Vermont and other northeastern
states. The steady peregrine population growth in Vermont
indicates that current contaminant loads do not appear to
be preventing the expansion of the state’s population,
but monitoring the population is important for detecting any
future negative effects. This and other issues such as encroachment
of development, direct human disturbance and predation indicate
that continued vigilance through monitoring and management
are essential to ensure the viability of peregrine populations
in Vermont.
The success of peregrine recovery efforts
has been due in large part to the protection of the state
and federal endangered species acts, professional partnerships,
and dedicated volunteers. If you would like to contribute
or be a part of the Vermont Peregrine Falcon Recovery Project,
please contact Margaret Fowle via email,
or by calling (802) 434-3068.
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| © Steve Faccio |
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