Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) Sergej Postupalsky Status: State Endangered
Grand Rapids, Kent Co., MI. (Click to view a comparison of Atlas I to II 5/8/2004 © Carl Manning ) This species sponsored by Bob Hess The Peregrine Falcon is reputed to be the incubation and led to total reproductive failures (Ratcliffe 1967, 1970, Hickey and Anderson world’s fastest flying bird; its speed and agility 1968, Hickey 1969, Cade et al. 1971, 1988). as it dives to strike at its flying prey has Recovery and reoccupation of lost breeding captured the admiration of falconers and range is now well underway, made possible by naturalists alike. This falcon is widely but the ban on the use of DDT and other persistent sparsely distributed: it is found on all continents organochlorine pesticides in the U.S. and except Antarctica. Its historical North American Canada in the early 1970s, and by releases of breeding distribution spanned the continent captive-bred Peregrines by the Peregrine Fund, from the tundra to the southern Appalachians Inc., other organizations, and falconers and and the Mexican Plateau, and from the Aleutian breeders in the U.S. and Canada (Cade et al. Islands to Greenland (White et al. 2002). Like 1988, Enderson et al. 1995, White et al. 2002). many raptors the Peregrine has undergone a slow decline in numbers and breeding Distribution distribution due to shooting, trapping, egg- Early reports of the Peregrine’s status in collecting, and disturbance by human activities Michigan are vague: “ Irregular visitor” (Gibbs (Hickey 1942, Bond 1946, Cade 1960). A 1879); “Rare… breeds at Michigamme…[and] precipitous decline occurred after about 1950, at the southern shore of Lake Superior” (Cook which resulted in its total elimination as a 1893); “Nowhere common” (Barrows 1912). breeding species from the United States east of Only 10 historical nesting areas have been the Rocky Mountains, and from eastern Canada identified for Michigan, all but one in the UP: south of the boreal forest. Elsewhere its Michigamme (eggs collected), Huron Islands, numbers and distribution were reduced to Huron Mountain Club, and Marquette (young varying degrees (Hickey 1969, Cade and Fyfe banded), in Marquette County; Grand Island and 1970, Fyfe et al. 1976). The causes of this Pictured Rocks in Alger County; Isle Royale in dramatic decline are well documented: Keweenaw County; Garden Peninsula in Delta bioaccumulation in prey species of the then County; Mackinac Island in Mackinac County; widely used organochlorine pesticides, such as and South Fox Island in Leelanau County DDT and its metabolites, which caused females (Wood 1951, Isaacs and Sloan 1979). The last to lay thin-shelled eggs which broke during
© 2011 Kalamazoo Nature Center Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) Sergej Postupalsky Status: State Endangered documented successful nesting at these May; first-time breeders start later in the season; historical sites occurred on the Garden timing is also influenced by latitude. Incubation Peninsula in 1957 (Berger and Mueller 1969). (33-34 days) usually begins with the A report of possible nesting in the Huron penultimate egg and is conducted by both sexes, Mountains in the early 1970s, thought to be the but mainly by the female (Burnham 1983). First last nesting of wild Peregrines east of the flights of fledglings occur about six weeks post- Mississippi River (Payne 1983), is to be viewed hatch and dependency of fledglings on adults as extremely doubtful and likely based on for food may continue for as long as 9-10 weeks sightings of migrants or on misidentification. in non-migratory populations (Sherrod 1983). Most commonly occupied habitats contain cliffs Annual productivity is influenced by cold, wet, for nesting and open areas for foraging, in some and late spring weather; local yearly variation in regions distributed along rivers or shorelines of prey abundance; regional differences in prey lakes and seacoasts; most sites are associated availability; and predation and disease. with water (White et al. 2002). The Peregrine Although not quantified for any population, formerly nested uncommonly in cavities of large predation can be significant, e.g., predation by trees in parts of the Mississippi River basin Great Horned Owls or Golden Eagles, (Hickey 1969) and in some areas lacking especially on hacked young (White at al. 2002). suitable cliffs it has used abandoned nests of other species (Fischer 1977, White et al. 2002). Abundance and Population Trends In the Midwest, most historical eyries were on A survey in 1939-1940 estimated the population horizontal ledges or in caves on high cliffs along in the eastern U.S. at 350 pairs (Hickey 1942). the upper Mississippi River, its tributaries, and By 1964 a repeat survey of the same area did on cliffs facing the Great Lakes (Berger and not find a single nesting pair anywhere east of Mueller 1969). In Michigan, most historical nest the Mississippi River (Berger et al. 1969). sites were high cliffs on the shore of Lake Already legally protected in most states and Superior and of the Garden Peninsula in Lake Canadian provinces since the 1950s and 1960s, Michigan; one was on a cliff located inland the Peregrine was listed as Endangered under (Wood 1951, Dodge 1961, Isaacs and Sloan the 1969 Endangered Species Conservation Act 1979). The only exception was an eyrie on a and later under the 1973 Endangered Species steep brush and tree-covered sand dune on Act; it is also protected by the Migratory Bird South Fox Island in northern Lake Michigan Treaty Act. (Hatt et al. 1948). Although Peregrines have Following restrictions on the use of DDT and historically nested on buildings and other man- other organochlorines some stability and local made structures in cities, (e.g., New York and increases were noted in the 1970s (Fyfe et al. Montreal, as well as in Europe), no such sites 1976), and numbers of pairs increased rapidly had been recorded in the Midwest until recently. during the 1980s (Cade et al. 1988). Importantly augmented by hacking releases of Breeding Biology more than 6,000 captive produced nestlings in While northern populations are highly Canada and the coterminous U.S., continent- migratory, most adult Peregrines breeding in the wide numbers approached pre-DDT levels by Midwest are resident. Falcons do not build nests the 1990s. This recovery allowed the Peregrine by adding nest material; instead they form a to be federally delisted in 1999 (Mesta 1999). scrape on the ledge by shaping a shallow Legal protection continues under the federal depression in the substrate consisting of dirt, Migratory Bird Treaty Act and by continued sand, decomposed fecal material, or other listing as an endangered species under the debris. Eggs (3-4) are laid from late March to
© 2011 Kalamazoo Nature Center Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) Sergej Postupalsky Status: State Endangered Michigan Endangered Species Act, as well as they have nested successfully at four different under state laws protecting wildlife. sites: Pictured Rocks, Grand Island, and Au Train Island in Alger County, and in Porcupine Hacking releases of Peregrine nestlings began in Mountain Wilderness State Park in Ontonagon Michigan in 1986 in Grand Rapids, in 1987 in County. No nesting has been reported at the Detroit and on Isle Royale, in 1988 on Ottawa Trap Hills in recent years (B. Bogaczyk, pers. National Forest in Ontonagon County, and in comm.). There have been no reports of 1989 at the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore Peregrines from historical sites in Marquette and in Alger County (Evers 1994). A total of 139 Delta Counties. Although these falcons are young falcons were released in Michigan occasionally seen on Isle Royale, no nesting has including 108 in the UP and 31 in urban areas of been reported there. the southern LP (Monfils 2007). During MBBA I there was only one possible record – from Isle Michigan’s recovery goal for the Peregrine was Royale; the confirmed squares on the map eight nesting pairs in the UP and two in the LP indicate hack sites (Hess 1991). The first post- by the year 2000 (Evers 1994, Monfils 2007). DDT nesting attempt by Peregrine Falcons While the LP goal has been exceeded, the occurred in 1989 in Detroit (Hess 1991); in number of nesting pairs in the UP still falls 1990 two additional nesting attempts occurred short, this even though many more falcons were in Ontonagon County – one at the Trap Hills, released in that part of the state and falcons the other in Porcupine Mountains State Park typically return to the habitat type in which they (Hess 1991, Tordoff 2000). The first successful were raised (Holroyd and Banash 1990). nestings in Michigan since 1957 occurred at the Trap Hills in 1991 (B. Bogaczyk, pers. comm., Conservation Needs Tordoff 2000) and in Detroit in 1992 (Tordoff Management needs in Michigan include: 2000). (1) Habitat protection: safeguarding of eyries from alteration or destruction and from During the MBBA II period, the number of excessive human disturbance, and protection of known, apparently territorial Peregrine pairs in riparian habitats that produce an adequate prey Michigan rose from 11 (six successful in base. fledging young) in 2002 to 25 (13 successful, 10 (2) Habitat improvements: modification of nest with no known nests) in 2008 (Midwest sites on cliffs, buildings, towers, and bridges to Peregrine Restoration Project 2003-2009). The increase safety from predators, inclement largest concentration is in the southeastern LP weather, accidents. Prompt provision of nest with about a dozen pairs between Port Huron boxes with gravel or pea stone (or suitable and Monroe, half of them in Detroit. Others substitute) on suitable buildings, towers, have nested in Flint, Lansing, East Lansing, bridges, smokestacks, or natural cliffs whenever Grand Rapids, Muskegon, and in Ottawa (two Peregrines appear in an area, to encourage them pairs) and Bay Counties. Apparently territorial to stay and breed. pairs with no evidence of nesting at several (3) Monitoring population trends and other sites are shown as probable on the map. productivity. Falcons have nested or set up territories at high (4) Continued vigilance relating to the wide rise office buildings, power plants, other range of synthetic substances being released into industrial structures, and bridges. In the UP, the environment, which potentially could have apart from one pair using the International lethal or sub-lethal effects on this and other Bridge at Sault Ste. Marie, Peregrines seem to sensitive species high on the food web. prefer natural cliffs. During this atlas period
© 2011 Kalamazoo Nature Center Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) Sergej Postupalsky Status: State Endangered Literature Cited Dodge, P. 1961. Birds of the Huron Mountains, Marquette County, Michigan. Barrows, W.B. 1912. Michigan bird life. Jack-Pine Warbler 39:1-31. Special Bulletin. Michigan Agricultural Enderson, J.H., W. Heinrich, L. Kiff, and C.M. College. Lansing, Michigan, USA. White . 1995. Population changes in North Berger, D.D., and H.C. Mueller. 1969. Nesting American Peregrines. Transactions of the Peregrine Falcons in Wisconsin and adjacent 60th North American Wildlife and Natural areas. Pages 115-122 in J.J. Hickey, editor. Resources Conference: 142-161. Peregrine Falcon Populations: their Biology Evers, D.C., editor. 1994. Endangered and and Decline. University of Wisconsin Press, Threatened Wildlife in Michigan. Madison, Wisconsin, USA. University of Michigan Press, Ann Arbor, Berger, D.D., C.R. Sindelar, Jr., and K.E. Michigan, USA. Gamble. 1969. The status of breeding Fischer, W. 1977. Der Wanderfalk Falco Peregrines in the eastern United States. peregrinus und Falco pelegrinoides. Die Pages 165-173 in J.J. Hickey, editor. Neue Brehm Buecherei 380, A. Ziemsen Peregrine Falcon populations: their biology Verlag, Wittenberg Lutherstadt, Germany. and decline. University of Wisconsin Press, Fyfe, R.W., S.A. Temple, and T.J. Cade, editors. Madison, Wisconsin, USA. 1976. The 1975 North American Peregrine Bond, R.M. 1946. The Peregrine population of Falcon survey. Canadian Field-Naturalist western North America. Condor 48:101- 90:228-273. 116. Gibbs, M. 1879. Annotated list of the birds of Burnham, W.A. 1983. Artificial incubation of Michigan. Bulletin of the U.S. Geological falcon eggs. Journal of Wildlife and Geographical Survey of the Territories Management 47:158-168. 5:481-497. Cade, T.J. 1960. Ecology of the Peregrine and Hatt, R.T., J. Van Tyne, L.C. Stuart, C.H. Pope, Gyrfalcon populations in Alaska. University and A.B. Grobman. 1948. Island Life: a of California Publications in Zoology Study of the Land Vertebrates of the Islands 63:151-290. in Eastern Lake Michigan. Cranbrook Cade, T.J., and R.W. Fyfe, editors. 1970. The Institute of Science Bulletin 27, Bloomfield North American Peregrine Falcon survey, Hills, Michigan, USA. 1970. Canadian Field-Naturalist 84:231- Hess, R.E. 1991. Peregrine Falcon (Falco 245. peregrinus). Pages 535-536 in R. Brewer, Cade, T.J., J.L. Lincer, C.M. White, D.G. G.A. McPeek, and R.J. Adams, Jr. The Roseneau, and L.G. Swartz. 1971. DDE Atlas of Breeding Birds of Michigan. residues and eggshell changes in Alaskan Michigan State University Press, East falcons and hawks. Science 172:955-957. Lansing, Michigan, USA. Cade, T.J., J.H. Enderson, C.G. Thelander, and Hickey, J.J. 1942. Eastern population of the C.M. White, editors. 1988. Peregrine Duck Hawk. Auk 59:176-204. Falcon Populations: their Management and Hickey, J.J., and D.W. Anderson. 1968. Recovery. The Peregrine Fund, Inc., Boise, Chlorinated hydrocarbons and eggshell Idaho, USA. changes in raptorial and fish-eating birds. Cook, A.J. 1893. Birds of Michigan, 2nd Science 162:271-273. edition. Bulletin 94. Michigan Agricultural Hickey, J.J., editor. 1969. Peregrine Falcon Experimental Station. Lansing, Michigan, Populations: Their Biology and Decline. USA. University of Wisconsin Press, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
© 2011 Kalamazoo Nature Center Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) Sergej Postupalsky Status: State Endangered Holroyd, G.L., and U. Banash. 1990. The White, C.M., N.J. Clum, T.J. Cade, and W.G. reintroduction of the Peregrine Falcon, Hunt. 2002. Peregrine Falcon (Falco Falco peregrinus anatum, into southern peregrinus). Account 660 in A. Poole and F. Canada. Canadian Field-Naturalist 104:203- Gill, editors. The Birds of North America. 208. The Birds of North America, Inc., Isaacs, F.B., and N.F. Sloan. 1979. Historical Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. survey of Peregrine Falcon eyries in Wood, N.A. 1951. The Birds of Michigan. National Park Service lands bordering Lake Miscellaneous Publication 75. University of Superior. Pages 501-508 in R.M. Linn, Michigan Museum of Zoology. Ann Arbor, editor. Proceedings of the First Conference Michigan, USA. on Scientific Research in the National Parks. New Orleans, LA, November 9-12, 1976. Suggested Citation National Park Service Transactions and Proceedings 5. Postupalsky, S. 2011. Peregrine Falcon (Falco Mesta, R. 1999. Endangered and threatened peregrinus). in A.T. Chartier, J.J. Baldy, and wildlife and plants: final rule to remove the J.M. Brenneman, editors. The Second American Peregrine Falcon from the federal Michigan Breeding Bird Atlas. Kalamazoo list of endangered and threatened wildlife, Nature Center. Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA. and to remove the similarity provision for Accessed online at:
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