The Peregrine Falcon - a North American success story
Joshua Galicki from the United States of America is a regular Bird Photographer of the Year competition entrant, receiving a number of Commendations for his images from the judges in 2019. In this article Josh shares the success story of the recent recovery of the Peregrine Falcon in North America, illustrated with some of his photography.
Peregrine Falcon. ©Joshua Galicki.
When you see a Peregrine, it’s always an incredible experience to know you’re looking at not only the fastest bird, but perhaps the fastest animal on the planet. The Peregrine Falcon has been clocked at diving speeds exceeding 240 mph, which is not a good thing if you’re on the menu. Peregrines primarily capture live birds in flight, and their prey can vary in size. Here in the United States woodpeckers, especially Northern Flickers, appear to be a common prey species for cliff dwelling Peregrines, while Rock Pigeons are the main food source for our urban birds. Additionally, resident and migrating Peregrines typically chase shorebird flocks and feed on species such as Semi-Palmated Sandpipers, quite often along the mid-Atlantic coastline. Since the old common name for a Peregrine was “duck hawk”, ducks will no doubt also continue to be a consistent food source where commonly available.
The Northern Flicker is a popular prey species for the Peregrine Falcon. ©Joshua Galicki
Semi-Palmated Sandpipers are also a popular prey item for Peregrines that often chase large wader flocks. ©Joshua Galicki
There have been recent studies showing a general decline in bird populations across North America but, in contrast, the recovery of the Peregrine Falcon has been a welcome success story. Between the 1940s and 1960s, the reproductive success of these birds dropped dramatically as a result of pesticide introductions, most notably DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane), which causes a reduction in egg shell thickness and subsequent nest failure. By the mid-1960s, there were no occupied nests found or documented in the eastern United States. Similar effects also threatened and significantly reduced Bald Eagle and Osprey populations.
A Peregrine hacking tower. ©Joshua Galicki
Thankfully an experimental recovery plan began in the 1970s, reintroducing Peregrine Falcons to urban buildings, coastal hacking towers, and cliff sides that were previously identified as historical nest sites. As a result, today I’m fortunate enough to observe resident Peregrines in Washington, DC, where I currently live, as well as on steep cliffs overlooking river valleys in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. I also come across nesting pairs utilizing hacking towers along the eastern coastline of Maryland and Virginia. My own personal observations are only a small glimpse into the dramatic recovery that’s taken place for the past forty plus years. The steady and overall increase in population eventually led to the removal of the Peregrine Falcon from the US Endangered Species list back in 1999. While numbers continue to climb, there are still major threats that can have an impact on the future of these birds. Young Peregrines are susceptible to disease acquired from Pigeons; toxins continue to be introduced in their environment, and urban nests can easily be disturbed as a result of human contact through window washing or bridge inspections for example. These current issues are compounded by additional, historical threats such as Great Horned Owl predation at cliff sites and the removal of birds from the wild for falconry.
Notwithstanding these challenges, the Peregrine Falcon is a symbol of resilience and demonstrates the power of nature to rebound when given the chance. Next time you come across one of these special birds, just think that it was almost lost to us forever, but now it has the chance to endure and allow us to marvel and its speed and ferocity.
Joshua Galicki October 2019.