Management of Raptors: Proceedings Of
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MANAGEMENT I . ,~----------- ---- - ·OFRAPTORS I Proceedings of the Conference on R•; :~ ... Conservation Techniques, Fort Collins, Colorado, 22-24 March, 1973 (Part 4)··· ' Frederick N. Hamerstrom, Jr., Byron E. Ha"ell, and Richard R. Olendorff, Editors RAPTOR RESEARCH FOUNDATION, INC. Rap tor Research Report, No. 2 Vermillion, So,uth Dakota 1974 \ CONFERENCE ON RAPTOR CONSERVATION TECHNIQUES This conference, sponsored by the Raptor Research Foundation, Inc., ar cosponsored by the Department of Wildlife Biology, Colorado State Universi and the Colorado Division of Wildlife, was held at Fort Collins, Colorado, 2 24 March 1973. The proceedings are published in six parts by the Raptor R search Foundation. Part 1. Introduction.Raptor Research 7(2):55·-61, 1973. Part 2. Raptor Ecology Section. Raptor Research 7(2):25-54, 62-69, 1973. .J' Part 3. Management of Raptors. Raptor Research Report No. 2, 146 pj: 1974. Part 4. Raptor Research Techniques. Raptor Research 7(3/4):73-104, II· 118, 1974. Part 5. Rehabilitation and Pathology. Rap tor Research 8(1):in press, 1974. I ! Part 6. Population Status of Rap tors. Raptor Research Report No. 3, in pres I 1974. ' J RAPTOR RESEARCH REPORT r This series is published by the Raptor Research Foundation, Inc. for iten too large for Rap tor Research. Copies can be ordered from RRF Membershi Services (see below). No. 1. "Falconiform Reproduction; A Review. Part I. The Pre-nestling Per od" by Richard R. Olendorff. February 1971, Ill pp. $2.50 ($2.00 to men bers). No. 2. "Management of Raptors; Proceedings of the Conference on Raptc · Conservation Techniques, Fort Collins, Colorado, 22-24 March, I 973 (Part 4). Edited by Frederick N. Harnerstrom, Jr., Byron E. Harrell, and Richard F Olendorff. July 1974, 146 pp. $5.00 ($4.00 to members). No. 3. "Population Status of Rap tors; Proceedings of the Conference on Ral I j tor Conservation Techniques, Fort Collins, Colorado, 22-24 March, 1973 (Pal 6)." Edited by Joseph R. Murphy, Clayton M. White, and Byron E. Harrell. I press 1974. About 200 pp. $6.25 ($5.00 to members). ,. i\ / ~ 't RAPTOR RESEARCH FOUNDATION, INC. The Raptor Research Foundation is a non-profit corporation devoted to a: aspects of biology and conservation of birds of prey. It has an extensive public< tion and information exchange program. Membership is open to all who co~ tribute. The quarterly Rap tor Research is sent to those who contribute a min: mum of $6.00 for 1974. The quarterly Rap tor Research Abstracts will be sen ~I for an additional $4.00 per year. Memberships and orders for other publications should be sent to Edward 5 Freienmuth, RRF Membership Services, RR 3, Box 301, Durango, CO 8130 I. PREFACE ''i I This volume is one of the results of the Conference on Raptor Conservation Techniques which was held on 22-24 March, 1973, at Fort Collins, Colorado, and was sponsored by the Raptor Research Foundation, Inc., and cosponsored by the Department of Wildlife Biology, Colorado State University and the Col orado Division of Wildlife. The proceedings of the conference are appearing in parts as follows. Part I. Introduction. Rap tor Research 7(2):55-61, 1973. Part 2. Raptor Ecology Session. Rap tor Research 7(2):25-54, 62-69, 1973. Part 3. Management of Raptors, edited by F. N. Hamerstrom, Jr., B. E. Har . rell, and R. R. Olendorff. Rap tor Research Report No. 2, 146 pages, 1974. Part 4. Raptor Research Techniques. Raptor Research 7(3/4):73-104, 114- 118, 1973. , I Part 5. Rehabilitation and Pathology. Rap tor Research 8(1 ):in press, 1974. :_j Part 6. Population Status of Raptors, edited by J. R. Murphy, C. M. White, and B. E. Harrell. Rap tor Research Report No. 3, in press, 1974. The roles ofthe editors are as follows. The primary scientific review of all but l,_,l one of the submitted papers was done by Hamerstrom. Olendorffs role was pri marily development of the original concept and organization. Harrell edited one paper, the abstracts, and the informal discussion, handled all managing editorial aspects, and prepared the index, Ilteface, and general format and design. We hope that this publication encourages the use, development, and testing of raptor management techniques. The Raptor Research Foundation has set up ~ I a Raptor Management Committee under the chairmanship of Richard Fyfe to encourage the continued development of this field. We hope that an informal information exchange in this area can be started soon. \) I TABLE OF CONTENTS ']\ The Law and North American Rap tors Frank M. Bond . I Rap tor Management Frances Hamerstrom 5 Data Required for Effective Study of Raptor Populations Leslie Brown . 9 Raptor Reproductive Success: Some Problems with Methods, Criteria, and Terminology Sergej Postupalsky . , . • 21 Rap tor Conservation and Management Applications of Bio-telemetry Studies from Cedar Creek Natural History Area Mark R. Fuller, Thomas H. Nicholls, and John R. Tester 33 The Bureau of Land Management Habitat Management Note Series for Endangered Species Carol Snow ................... 45 The Potential for Management of Raptor Populations in Western Grasslands Richard R. Olendorff and John W. Stoddart, Jr. 47 . .I Plans for Managing the Survival of the Peregrine Falcon TomJ. Cade ............. 85 ',"'I I Artificial Nesting Platforms for Osprey in Michigan l __ J Sergej Postupalsky and Stephen M. Stackpole 105 Osprey Management on the Lassen National Forest, California David P. Garver, James R. Koplin, and Jack R. Kahl . IE Other Conference Papers on the Management of Raptors Informal Discussion 12' Index . 13' d ·.. J !I,, THE LAW AND NORTH AMERICAN RAPTORS ,Frank M. Bond _,! The birds of prey of North America are afforded protection with some excep tions in Canada, the United States of America, and Mexico. H was not until March 10, 1972 with the expansion of the annex to the "Convention between the United States of America and the United Mexican States for the Protection of Migratory Birds and Game Animals" (50 Stat 1311) and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (83 Stat. 282) that raptor protection was achieved in the United States and Mexico. The annex includes all birds of prey. In those states in the United States and Mexico where raptor protection did not exist or only partial ly existed, the federal treaty bound them to at least the minimum standards as set forth in the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. As of this writing, in the United States many of the various state legislatures are considering legislation which will bring their laws into compliance with the federal treaty act. Canadian raptor protection has been achieved because the various provincial governments have decided individually to promulgate legislation and regulations toward this end. With any renewed negotiations concerning migratory birds be 1- tween Canada and the United States, birds of prey may be added to the pro tected list, thus binding Canada at the federal level to similar protection. Provincial, state, and federal laws and regulations deal with raptors specific ally in the following areas: total protection without exception, captive propaga tion, falconry, raptor rehabilitation, and the raptor pet trade. Author's address-540 Camino Rancheros, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501. 2 MANAGEMENT OF RAPTORS 1. Total protection without exception. To my knowledge total protection of raptors without exception does not exist anywhere in the three countries under discussion. In some of the eastern states of the United States the only exception for raptors are those to hold in captivity as pets. In most cases these raptors are exotics. 2. Captive propagation. Facilities for captive propagation of rap tors have been built all across the United States and Canada by individuals and institutions. There are not any known propagation facilities in Mexico. Provincial and state governments have normally dealt with captive propaga tion by regulating it under scientific pennit. In some of the midwestern and eastern provinces and states of Canada and the United States, captive propaga tion is the only recognized legitimate use of native raptors. In the United States, altho!lgh the birds of prey are protected federally, it is expected that the propagation programs will be regulated at the state level. 3. Falconry. Falconry is currently being practiced in Canada and the United States under a myriad of provincial and state laws. In Mexico falconry is regulated at the fed eral level. Again in some Canadian provinces and various eastern states of the United States falconry is not a legal activity. However there are mitigating circum stances in some states of the United States. For example, in some eastern and midwestern states exotic raptors may be held and flown free, in some cases at wild quai'ry and in other cases not. ~c ~· --- In the expansion of the annex to the "Convention between the United States of America and the United Mexican States for the Protection of Migratory Birds and Game Animals" and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, falconry was included as a legitimate use of rap tors. Consequently the U. S. Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife is writing a set of federal falconry regulations to be handled at the state level. The federal regulations will supersede the state regulations in those cases where the state regulations are not equal to or more stringent than the fed eral regulations. The proposed federal regulations do not mandate the sport of falconry; thus, where falconry is not now legal either by state legislation or reg ulation it will not necessarily be legal when the federal regulations are adopted. The proposed U. S. federal regulations on falconry will be included in Subchap ter B, Title 50, Code of Federal Regulations when they are published in their fmal form.