Peregrine falcons are inching closer toward coming off the state's endangered species list.
Art McMorris, falcon coordinator for the Pennsylvania Game Commission, said the agency's management plan calls for upgrading the birds' status to “threatened” when more than 50 percent of nests fledge young and produce, on average, at least 1.5 young per year for three consecutive years.
Those goals were met for the first time this year.
“So this is a major milestone in the recovery period,” McMorris said.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service already removed the birds from the federal endangered species list, meaning they're no longer imperiled across their range. Here, the birds' future will be tied to how well and often they nest on cliffs, McMorris said. That's their natural habitat.
Most of those within Pennsylvania are nesting on man-made structures, like skyscrapers, bridges and the like. They present extra hazards for young birds, which often fall into traffic, McMorris said.
Most peregrines that survive their first year live to be 10, so the relatively safety of cliff nests can't be overstated, he added.
“A lot depends on the number of cliff nests, but I'm optimistic we can sustain the current rate of growth,” McMorris said.
Art banded Luzerne.
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