News: Peregrines

[Jazzerkins]

Sad new today :

"The Padre Island Survey must tearfully advise its friends and supporters of the untimely passing of Earthspan Director and founding member Tom Maechtle. A talented biologist and internationally known expert on peregrines, he directed the Padre Survey for many years. Tom was a key figure in most Earthspan projects for decades, working alongside us on peregrine projects in Greenland, Alaska, Mexico, South America and Russia. He authored or co-authored many scientific publications, built his highly successful Bighorn Environmental Consultants firm in Sheridan, WY, and still found time for a rewarding family life with daughter Ireland and wife Kathy. Tom was a brother and steadfast friend to us, and his importance in our lives and those of countless others cannot be measured. His health took a sudden and unexpected turn since visiting our Assateague Island survey in October, and we must now endure the incalculable personal and professional loss of this seminal figure in peregrine research. As Earthspan’s important projects continue, Tom’s influence and ethic and spirit will always be an integral part of them."

[The Peregrine Chick]

CITES is an organization which is generally regarded as having no real power

The organization may not have teeth (and that is up for some debate but if you are trying to move a bird of prey across an international border, the paperwork and time it takes to get it organized is mind-blowing.  That was the reason the Winnipeg Mississippi Kite chick never made it back south to be rehabbed and released down south where they are more common.  To get the necessary paperwork in place was going to take so long that the chick would be imprinted on its handlers up here (because of its age/stage of development) so not a good candidate for re-release and finding a home for it down there was going to be more than difficult - they are specialized birds.  On the other end of the spectrum, we had some folks who donated money to purchase a captive-bred chick for release in memory of their late wildlife biologist daughter.  When the chick was a foster chick and I was luck enough to be able to catch a feather one day while it was preening at the Radisson.  As a thank you, I framed a photo of the chick when it came in and later when it was fledging and wanted to include the feather.  I had to do the same amount of paperwork for the feather as I would have had to do for the whole bird and I needed to make sure that the gift could go anywhere with the family.  Took me the better part of the year.  Which was fine, it should be just as difficult for parts of a CITES-listed species as it is for a live, healthy specimen otherwise there is an incentive to transport parts (eggs, feathers, skulls, whatever) which undermines the whole idea of being listed at all.

But then, that's just my opinion from my limited experiences.

As for delisting the birds nationally ... you should know that peregrines are already legally being taken from the wild in some states and provinces.  Usually young birds (easier to train and not intefering a breeding pair) on migration north or south - usually south if I recall.  This would loosen up the permitting process, but migratory birds like peregrines would still require permits to be transported across borders - international and inter-provincial (I assume inter-state as well but don't know that for sure).

[Alison]

Part of an article from The Globe and Mail, Johannesburg. I have made certain portions of the text bold.

September 23, 2016

Soaring peregrine falcon population pivotal to conservation discussions

Wildlife conservationist Peter Ewins remembers finding abandoned nests and broken eggs when he searched for peregrine falcons in the 1980s in places where they had nested for centuries.

The world’s fastest animal, a magnificent raptor that can hit speeds of nearly 400 kilometres an hour as it swoops on its prey, had tumbled to the brink of extinction as a result of devastating damage from pesticides.

But at a conference beginning on Saturday, the Canadian government will call for the international trade in peregrine falcons to be permitted again. It is a testament to the success of conservation efforts – and a potential boost for a global treaty that is battling to prevent the extinction of elephants, rhinoceroses and other animals.

The treaty, known as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), is one of the last lines of defence for animal species that face an overwhelming threat from poachers and traffickers. An alarming rise in the illegal trade of elephant ivory and rhino horn, among other products, will be a key focus for the 183 nations that gather in Johannesburg for the start of the 12-day conference.

For the treaty to keep its credibility in regions such as Africa and Asia, where trafficking has escalated, it needs success stories. And Canadian officials believe they have found three such stories: the peregrine falcon, the wood bison and the cougar. Canada is proposing that CITES should loosen its restrictions on the global trade of all three species.

It might sound counter-intuitive, but analysts say the loosened restrictions on newly healthy species could strengthen the CITES treaty, offering an incentive to hesitant officials and discouraging key nations from dropping out.

Canada argues, for example, that a controlled trade in peregrines can be allowed because the world now has at least 228,000 adult peregrines, and the trade would be insufficient to threaten them.

The pesticides that reduced raptors’ fertility and made their egg shells brittle are no longer used in Canada.

Mr. Ewins, a conservation specialist at WWF-Canada who has studied the peregrine falcon for decades, said he is “relieved and delighted” that some species have rebounded to the point where the trade ban can be lifted.

“There are very few examples of this in the world,” he said. “It’s the beacon shining down the path we need to tread.”

I completely disagree with the reasoning put forth in this article. Peregrines are still endangered in many parts of the world, and while DDT is banned in Canada, it is still in use in many African countries and in South America, where many peregrines migrate to spend the winter. And the close relative of DDT, DDE, with only one molecule of difference, is still out there, along with deca, neonicotinoids, and so many other toxins. There has also been an alarming increase in the last few years in the number of peregrines being shot and intentionally poisoned.

CITES is an organization which is generally regarded as having no real power.

Peregrines have been through more than enough already. Leave them alone.

The full article:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/soaring-falcon-population-in-canada-pivotal-to-conservation-discussions/article32041622/

[Alison]

some banders are good enough to band fast and without a second person to hold or restrain the bird (adult or chick) in some way.  Certainly solo bandings on chicks are easier because they don't have flight feathers on their wings which make it much more difficult and the tail feathers don't get in the way.  The rest of us I would say have considered what we would do if we were ever in a position where we didn't have an extra pair of hands.  I know I have a plan in my back pocket in case it ever happens to me.  When the juvenile is being held by his feet, it is probably to a) not restrain the juvie until needed and b) let the chick cool off after banding - they don't perspire rather pant through their mouth but it helps if they can get a breeze across their breast and under their wings.  The ice-cream-cone hold doesn't hurt the bird - trick is to be able to do it securely (no strain on their legs/feet) and so they rest their body on the top of your hand otherwise they feel unstable and protest.  Its a nice secure hold if your hands are big enough/strong enough - but you can't use it on all birds - some just try to eat your hands 

Thank you for the reply, TPC. What you say makes perfect sense, and certainly banding with only one person could be very tricky.

In the instance above, the juvie was placed in a cylinder with only the feet showing at the bottom of the cylinder. There was one person banding and another holding the feet and/or the cylinder. I was wondering about the need for the cylinder, which is visible in three of the photos with the article. I have never seen this done before, and thought it could possibly cause feather damage or other injuries.

[The Peregrine Chick]

Concord, New Hampshire

A young female peregrine falcon was released near Horseshoe Pond in Concord on Friday, August 26, two days after it was spotted nearby on an Interstate 393 exit ramp. When found, the bird appeared uninjured but remained where it was on the pavement when approached by people. It was eventually placed in the care of Wings of the Dawn, a wildlife rehabilitation center in Henniker, and cleared for release by Weare Animal Hospital before being banded and released by New Hampshire Audubon.

It's always good to see a rescued peregrine flying free again. There are about ten photos of this beautiful juvie which accompany the news item. I noticed that the banding process was a little different.

http://www.concordmonitor.com/New-Hampshire-Audubon-releases-peregrine-falcon-4347733

some banders are good enough to band fast and without a second person to hold or restrain the bird (adult or chick) in some way.  Certainly solo bandings on chicks are easier because they don't have flight feathers on their wings which make it much more difficult and the tail feathers don't get in the way.  The rest of us I would say have considered what we would do if we were ever in a position where we didn't have an extra pair of hands.  I know I have a plan in my back pocket in case it ever happens to me.  When the juvenile is being held by his feet, it is probably to a) not restrain the juvie until needed and b) let the chick cool off after banding - they don't perspire rather pant through their mouth but it helps if they can get a breeze across their breast and under their wings.  The ice-cream-cone hold doesn't hurt the bird - trick is to be able to do it securely (no strain on their legs/feet) and so they rest their body on the top of your hand otherwise they feel unstable and protest.  Its a nice secure hold if your hands are big enough/strong enough - but you can't use it on all birds - some just try to eat your hands 

[Alison]

Concord, New Hampshire

A young female peregrine falcon was released near Horseshoe Pond in Concord on Friday, August 26, two days after it was spotted nearby on an Interstate 393 exit ramp. When found, the bird appeared uninjured but remained where it was on the pavement when approached by people. It was eventually placed in the care of Wings of the Dawn, a wildlife rehabilitation center in Henniker, and cleared for release by Weare Animal Hospital before being banded and released by New Hampshire Audubon.

It's always good to see a rescued peregrine flying free again. There are about ten photos of this beautiful juvie which accompany the news item. I noticed that the banding process was a little different.

http://www.concordmonitor.com/New-Hampshire-Audubon-releases-peregrine-falcon-4347733

[GCG]

This progression chart shows the chicks as they grow. Click on a photo for comments.

http://www.peregrine-foundation.ca/info/ageguide.html

[The Peregrine Chick]

So ... um ... Is that rock the man is climbing on permanently white washed?

Probably    Lots and lots of Poop-Art ...

[dupre501]

So ... um ... Is that rock the man is climbing on permanently white washed?

[RCF]

2,500-year-old bird's nest found

A 2,500-year-old bird's nest has been discovered on a cliff in Greenland.

The nesting site is still continually used by gyrfalcons, the world's largest species of falcon, and is the oldest raptor nest ever recorded.

Three other nests, each over 1,000 years old, have also been found, one of which contains feathers from a bird that lived more than 600 years ago.

However, ornithologists fear climate change may soon drive the birds from these ancient nesting sites.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_8103000/8103872.stm

An ancient nest, this one dated at a mere 1000 years old.
 

[The Peregrine Chick]

From our cam guru ...

Falcon gets bird's-eye view of Ottawa commuters
CBC News / 5 Feb 2016



An Ontario Ministry of Transportation traffic camera caught what looked to be a peregrine falcon perched high above Highway 417 near Churchill Avenue in Ottawa this morning.  The bird refused to show its face on camera. (Ontario Ministry of Transportation)  Or at least some of it.  The camera-shy bird chose not to show its head for a glamour shot. 

It'll have to work up its courage if it ever wants to become as famous as this Montreal snowy owl, which was also caught on a traffic camera.



Source: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/traffic-camera-bird-ottawa-1.3435183

[Alison]

A work in progress from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: The Feather Atlas. This is quite an undertaking.

For example, here are the scans for peregrine feathers:

http://www.fws.gov/lab/featheratlas/browse-species.php?CommonName=Peregrine_Falcon

[The Peregrine Chick]

Thanks for posting this RCF - I've been watching the Florida numbers as well and it's been amazing watching the daily counts. Hadn't checked in the last couple of days so glad you caught this one!

And for those wondering, yes some of our birds migrate/have migrated to/through Florida Over the years.  No idea how many though because mostly the sightings are as a result of an injury or death. But that is true of all reports of our birds from down south - except the few Manitoba birds with transmitters of course.  There are only two transmitters still active I believe and so far none of the birds that had transmitters birds went the Florida route as far as I know.

[RCF]

Florida Keys Hawkwatch

1506 Peregrine Falcons in 1 Day Count – New World Record

https://floridakeyshawkwatch.wordpress.com/2015/10/11/1506-peregrine-falcons-in-1-day-count-new-world-record/

[GCG]

Love their bling on the hoods.