Peregrine Falcon Investigations
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PENNSYLVANIA GAME COMMISSION BUREAU OF WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT PROJECT ANNUAL JOB REPORT PROJECT CODE NO.: 06715 TITLE: Peregrine Falcon Research/Management JOB CODE NO.: 71501 TITLE: Peregrine Falcon Investigations PERIOD COVERED: 1 January 2009 to 31 December 2009 COOPERATING AGENCIES: The Aark Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center, Newtown; Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia; Carbon County Environmental Education Center; Comcast Center, Philadelphia; Dauphin County Wildlife Rescue, Harrisburg; Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission, New Hope; Delaware River Port Authority; Delaware Valley Raptor Center, Milford; Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area; Gulf Tower, Pittsburgh; Make a Wish Foundation, Pittsburgh; The National Aviary, Pittsburgh; New Jersey Division of Fish, Game, and Wildlife; Packer Ave. Marine Terminal, Philadelphia; Pennsylvania Department of Transportation; Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection; Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission; Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission; Philadelphia City Hall; Philadelphia Zoo; PPL Corporation; Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education - Wildlife Division, Philadelphia; Three Rivers Avian Center, Brooks, West Virginia; Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research, Newark, Delaware; University of Pittsburgh; US Army Corps of Engineers; US Fish & Wildlife Service; Webbed Foot Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic, Ambler; Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, Pittsburgh. WORK LOCATION(S): Statewide PREPARED BY: F. Arthur McMorris and Daniel W. Brauning DATE: 13 August 2010 ABSTRACT The long-term management goal of this project is to re-establish a self-sustaining peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) population in Pennsylvania (Brauning and Hassinger, 2001). Peregrine falcon coordinator Dr. Art McMorris and over 60 volunteers monitored peregrine falcons at 44 sites and searched for falcons at additional locations across the state. One new nest was identified in 2009, and 2 nests were active after several years of inactivity, raising the total number of active nests to 25. The total number of nest sites occupied by pairs throughout the nesting season (25) and the number of young fledged (68) were the highest since the beginning of the peregrine falcon recovery program, and the number of successful nests (21) tied a high set in 2008. Fifty-six of the 68 young were banded at the nest. The number of active nests at natural cliff sites increased from 3 to 5, and 3 of the 5 were successful, fledging 9 young. Twenty-three band recoveries were obtained 71501 2 during the calendar year 2009. The public was invited to attend peregrine falcon banding events at the Rachel Carson State Office Building (RCSOB) in Harrisburg, the Gulf Tower and the University of Pittsburgh Cathedral of Learning in Pittsburgh, and City Hall in Philadelphia. Activities of Pennsylvania’s peregrine falcons attracted much favorable attention from the public and were well covered in the media. There were 23 recoveries of falcons banded in Pennsylvania, or banded elsewhere and recovered in Pennsylvania, during the 2009 calendar year. OBJECTIVES 1. The long-term management goal is to re-establish a self-sustaining peregrine falcon population in Pennsylvania. 2. The recovery levels proposed to upgrade the peregrine falcon’s state status from endangered to threatened, outlined in the revised Pennsylvania Recovery and Management Plan for the peregrine falcon (Brauning, 2007), are a self-sustaining total of 15 breeding pairs (33% of the historic population), productivity of at least 1.25 young fledged per pair, and at least half of known pairs nesting successfully, each for 3 years. State de-listing is proposed to occur only after the establishment of self-sustaining population of a total 22 pairs on natural (cliff) sites statewide (50% of the historic total) for 3 years, and reproductive success on those cliffs must exceed 2.0 birds per active nest and on buildings/bridges exceed 1.5 birds per active site to assure a stable population. METHODS Peregrine falcon coordinator Dr. Art McMorris monitored peregrine falcon nesting activity in southeastern Pennsylvania during the 2009 nesting season and coordinated over 60 volunteers and agency personnel in monitoring over 40 nests and potential nest sites across the state (Fig. 1). Video cameras, linked to live Internet connections, again monitored the nest site at the Rachel Carson State Office Building (RCSOB) in Harrisburg (Department of Environmental Protection [DEP] 2009), and the Gulf Tower and the University of Pittsburgh Cathedral of Learning in Pittsburgh (National Aviary 2009). Young falcons at nests within driving distance of Philadelphia were banded by Art McMorris; those in the Pittsburgh area were banded by other Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) personnel as noted below. CHANGE IN REPORTING PERIOD Beginning with this Annual Report, the reporting is being changed from a fiscal year to a calendar year basis. The previous Annual Report, for 2008, contained the results of the 2008 nesting season and covered the period from 1 July 2008 to 30 June 2009 for all data except for recoveries, which were reported for the period 1 July to 31 December 2008. To bring about the transition with no gaps in coverage, the present Annual Report, for 2009, contains the results of the 2009 nesting season, recoveries for 1 January to 31 December 2009, and all other data for 1 July to 31 December 2009. Future annual reports will cover the calendar year from 1 January to 31 December for all data each year. RESULTS 71501 3 Peregrine falcons nested at 25 sites in Pennsylvania during 2009. Young fledged successfully at 21 of the 25 sites, for a success rate of 84%. Three new nests were established, or were active after a period of inactivity, in 2009. A new nesting pair was found at the Norman Wood Bridge (Pennsylvania Route 372 and Susquehanna River, Lancaster County), but the nest was not successful. The nest at Philadelphia City Hall was active for the first time since 2000, and fledged 4 young. Nesting activity was documented at the Delaware Water Gap for the first time in 5 years, but the nest failed, almost certainly due to disturbance. At one nest site, the Walt Whitman Bridge in Philadelphia, the falcons nested on the New Jersey rather than the Pennsylvania side of the state line, for a loss of one Pennsylvania nest. The net change was an increase in 2 active nests in 2009 as compared with 2008 (Table 1). The total number of active nests (25) and the number of young produced (68) and banded (56) were the highest since the beginning of the peregrine falcon recovery program. Nests in Philadelphia Area, Southeast (SE) Region Six Delaware River bridges, 2 Schuylkill River bridges and several tall buildings in the Philadelphia area were monitored for peregrine falcon activity. Nesting activity was observed at 6 sites and success was confirmed at all 6, with a total of 19 young. More than half of the Commonwealth’s active peregrine falcon nests are in the SE Region, and nearly half of those are in the Philadelphia area. Results for the Philadelphia-area nests are detailed in Tables 1, 2, 4 and 7 and are summarized are as follows: Benjamin Franklin Bridge, Philadelphia County.--This nest was again monitored by volunteers Georgia and Barrie Ashby and several others. Three young were produced in this nest and were banded by PGC personnel on 1 June. All 3 fledged successfully and continued to be observed until late summer. Commodore Barry Bridge, Delaware County.--Two hatchlings and one egg were found when this nest was visited on 15 June, but when the nest was re-visited for banding on 1 July, only 1 nestling was found, together with one unhatched egg. The nestling was banded on 1 July and fledged successfully, but on 23 July it was found dead on the bridge roadway. Girard Point Bridge, Philadelphia County.--Nesting activity has been documented at this site every year since 1987, and young fledged from the site 3 times during the first few years of activity and then every year since 1996. In 2009, 4 young were produced; they were banded on 14 May, fledged successfully, and continued to be observed through the summer. Pennsylvania-New Jersey Turnpike Connector Bridge, Bucks County.--This nest continues to be monitored by several dedicated volunteers led by Linda Rowan. The pair nested in the same box beam that they have used continuously since 2001, and produced 4 young which were banded 21 May. All fledged successfully, but one was found dead on the roadway near the nest site on 6 June. The 3 survivors continued to be observed for 8 weeks after fledging. Philadelphia, Downtown, Philadelphia County.--Downtown Philadelphia and vicinity were monitored with the assistance of long-term volunteer Ed Mutzer. Peregrine Falcons nested in the nest 71501 4 box on City Hall Tower for the first time since 2000. Four young were produced, and all fledged successfully. The young were banded by PGC personnel on 28 May in an event that was attended by the public and well covered by local newspapers and TV stations. All four fledged successfully. 2400 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, Philadelphia County.--A nest box was placed on the rooftop by building management in cooperation with PGC in April 2008. Although the location has many features which would be expected to make it attractive as a peregrine falcon nest site, there has been no evidence to date that falcons have used the box. Walt Whitman Bridge, Philadelphia County.--This tall suspension bridge has a nest box mounted on top of each tower, one in Pennsylvania (PA) and the other in New Jersey (NJ). The falcons frequently move their nest back and forth across the river. In 2009 the falcons used the nest box on top of the east (NJ) tower and produced 2 young. This result is noted in Table 1 but the data are not included in the PA totals. Other nests in the SE Region In addition to the 6 active and 1 inactive nests in the Philadelphia area described above, there are 9 more active nests in other locations in the SE region.