6666 Federal Register / Vol. 51, No. 37 / Tuesday, February 25, 1986 / Rujes and Regulations

6666 Federal Register / Vol. 51, No. 37 / Tuesday, February 25, 1986 / RuJes and Regulations DEPARTMENT OF THE INiERlOR kestrels (FaIco sparverius) and implicate habitat degradation due to peregrine falcon! (Fake peregrinus). brush encroachment as the main factor Fish and Wildllfe Service , The northern aplomado falcon does not responsible for the disappearance of the seem to be migratory, since most subspecies from the United States. 50 CFR Part 17 collected adults were taken in winter Secondarily, overcollecting of the Endangered and Threatened Wildlife months in the United States (Hector falcons and their eggs may have and Plants; Determination of the 1981). Hector (1960,1981,1982,1983) temporarily reduced their numbers in Nodhem Aplomado Falcon lo Be an summarized the literature dealing with some parts of the United States. Endangered Species the northern aplomado falcon and However, collecting pressure, by itself, reported on the historic and recent could not account for the continued AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, distributions of the species, and on its absence of the aplomado falcon north of Interior. habitat, diet, and behavior. Kiff et al, Mexico. Currently, the most serious ACTION: Final rule. (1978) documented eggshell thinning and threat to this falcon is the continued uee pesticide contamination in the of DDT and other persistent pesticides SUMMARY: The Service determines the subspecies. within the ranges of the falcon and some northern aplomado falcon, Fake Egg laying has been recorded betwien of its prey species. femoralis septentrionuh, to be an the months of January and September FaIco femomiis septentrionalis ws endangered species under provisions of eggs are usually laid in April or May, first considered by the Service in 1973 as the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as Aplomado falcons feed on birds, insects, a possible candidate for endangered amended. This subspecies historically l rodents, small snakes, and lizards status (United States Department of the occurred in southeastern Arizona, (Hector 1981). In eastern Mexico, the Interior 1973): however, more southern New Mexico, southern Texas, majority of prey items are insects; information was needed to support such much of Mexico, and the western coast however, birds make up over 90 percent a determination. Additional information of Guatemala. It has been extirpated as of the dietary biomass (Hector 1981). is now available to the Service to a breeding species from the United Typical northern aplomado falcon support a determination of endangered States, and at present is known to nest habitat is open rangeland and tropical (Kiff etal. 1978, Hector l980,198l, 1982, only in portions of eastern Mexico. This savanna containing scat?ered mesquites 1983). The northern aplomado falcon is falcon is threatened by continued [Prosopis juliflora), yuccas (Y&a eiata presently listed by the State of Arizona habitat loss and by contamination with and Yucca h-eculeana), oaks (Quercus as extirpated from that State [Arizona organochlorine pesticides. No critical ofeoides), acacias (Acacia farnesiana), habitat has been proposed. This rule Game and Fish Commission 1982) and or palms (Sabal mexicana). In central by the State of Texas as a protected will implement the protection provided Mexico, the falcon has also been found by the Endangered Species Act of I9739 nongame species vexas Park and in open pine woodland [Pinus Wildlife Code 127.79.12.OOl-,008).Al983 as amended? for Falco femoralis montezumae). The most recent reported septentrionalis. United States nesting occurred in yucca/ status report for this subspecies was mesquite grassland near Deming, New prepared by Dean P. Hector of the DATE: The effective date of this rule is University of California at Los Angeles, March 27,I%6. Mexico, in 1952. ln the same year, a under contract with the Service. Upon ADDRESSES: The complete file for this second nest was found in northern Chihuahua, Mexico; this is the most evaluation of that report, the Service has rule is available for public inspection concluded that the status of this species during normal business hours, by recent documented nesting attempt for northern Mexico. The essential most closely fits endangered as defmed appointment, at the Service’s Regional in Section 3 of the Endangered Species Office of Endangered Species, 500 Gold components of northern aplomado falcon habitat are open terrain with Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 Avenue, S.W., Room &lo& Albuquerque, et seq.). New Mexico. scattered trees, relatively low ground cover, an abundance of small to FaIco femomlis septentrionalis was Foa FURLER INFORMATION CONTACTS included in category 2 of the December Mr. Steve Hoffman, U.S. Fish and medium-sized birds, and a supply of nesting platforms [stick nests or large 30,1982, Vertebrate Notice of Review Wildlife Service, P.O. Box l306, bromeliads) (Hector 1983). (47 FR 58454). Category 2 includes those Albuquerque, New Mexico 87lOq (505/ The historic breeding range of the taxa that are thought to possibly 766-3972 or FlX 474-3972). northern aplomado falcon, as warTant listing, but for which more SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: represented by museum specimens or information is needed to determine biological status and to support listing, Background eggs, included southeastern Arizona, southern New Mexico* and southern That information is now available for The northern aplomado falcon is Texas in the United States, the States of this subspecies in the current status perhaps one of our mo$t colorful birds of Tamaulipas, Chiapas, Campeche, report (Hector 1963) and the Service prey. [“Aplomado” in Spanish means Tabasco, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Sinaloa, published a proposed rule to list this gray or lead-colored.) Adults are Jalisco, Guerrero, Veracruz, Yucatan, subspecies as endangered on May 20. characterized by rufous underparts, a and San Luis Potosi in Mexico, and the 1985[5OFR20810) gray dorsum, a long and banded tail, western coast of Guatemala. It is now Summary of Commemb and long legs, and a distinctive black and extirpated as a breeding species from Recommendations white facial pattern. Fafco femoralis the United States and is presently septentrionah (family Falconidae) was known to nest regularly only in portions In the proposed rule and associated first described by Todd in 191& the type of northern and central L’eracruz, notifications, all interested parties were specimen had been taken in 1887 near northern Chiapas, western Campeche, requested to submit factual reports on Ft. Huachuca, Arizona. This subspecies and eastern Tabasco, mostly in palm information that might contribute to the is the largest form of Falco femoralis and oak savanna (Hector 1981.) development of a final rule. Appropriate and weighs about 9-14 ounces [ZC+IOO Considered together, the habitat State agencies, county governments, grams) (Hector 1961). Aplamados are preferences of the subspecies and the Federal agencies, scientific intermediate in size between American timing of its decline in the United States organizations, and other interested Federal Register / Vol. 51, No. 87 / Tuesday, February Z, 1986 / Rules and Regulations 6667 parties, including the government of society also stated that it appears Levels of DDE and DDT in aplomado Mexico, were contacted and requested unlikely that ‘pesticide contamination eggs (Kiff et al. 1978) and data on to comment. Newspaper notices that played a major role in the northern eggshell thinning in the aplomado invited general public comment were aplomado falcon’s extirpation in the (Hector 19811, when compared with the published in the Sun-News in Las U.S., because the heavy use of occurrence of eggshell thinning in Cruces, New Mexico, on June 7,19@& pesticides such as DDT began shortly peregrine falcon populations that The Brownsville Hemld in Brownsville, after World War II and did not receive declined due to pesticide contamination Texas, on June 14,1965; the Arizona widespread application in the (Peakall and Kiff lQ7Q], offer sufficient L)oiiy Star in Tucson, Arizona, on June Southwest until after 1952. The proposed evidence to indicate that aplomado 13,198~; and the Hudspeth County rule stated that the reasons for decline populations are threatened by Hemld-DeIl VaIiey Review in Del Rio, were mainly habitat degradation due to reproductive failure due to pesticide Texas, on June 21,198ti. brush encroachment and secondarily contamination. Actual reproductive Sixteen letters were received in overcollecting of the falcons and their failure in the past or now taking place support of the proposal and one letter eggs. The rule stated that currently, the has not been documented, but the threat expressed neither support nor most serious threat to&e falcon is the clearly remains so long as such opposition. Summaries of the comments continued use of DDT and other contaminants remain in the ecosystem. follow: persistent pesticides. The Arizona State Clearinghouse had Dean P. Hector supported listing of Summary of Factors Affecting the no comments on the proposal. The New the northern aplomado falcon but Species Mexico Wildlife Federation, the Raptor believed that it should be listed a5 Research Foundation, the Texas Natural threatened rather than endangered. His After a thorough review and Heritage Program, Fort Huachuca (U.S. comment5 and the Service’s responses coRsideration of all information Army), and Roland Wauer (Assistant follow. available, the Service has determined Superintendent, Great Smoky Mountains I. Agricultural development

Load more