(DRAFT) - Taxonomy
Species falcon, arctic peregrine
Species Id M040403
Date 26 AUG 96
TAXONOMY
NAME - falcon, arctic peregrine
OTHER COMMON NAMES -
ELEMENT CODE - 03/10/84
AOU CODE - 04/25/85
CATEGORY - Birds
PHYLUM AND SUBPHYLUM - Chordata, Vertebrata
CLASS AND SUBCLASS - Aves, Neornithes
ORDER AND SUBORDER - Falconiformes, Falcones
FAMILY AND SUBFAMILY - Falconidae,
GENUS AND SUBGENUS - Falco,
SPECIES AND SSP - peregrinus, tundrius
SCIENTIFIC NAME - Falco peregrinus tundrius
AUTHORITY - White 1968
TAXONOMY REFERENCES - 760, 404, 575, 761 and 407
COMMENTS ON TAXONOMY -
Superorder: Neognathae *404*; Tribe: Falconini *407*
Taxonomy - 1 (DRAFT) - Status
Species falcon, arctic peregrine
Species Id M040403
Date 26 AUG 96
STATUS
Coded Status
T: Federal Threatened
Federal Migratory
Nongame-Protected
See Comments
REFERENCES FOR STATUS - 680, 585, 758, 828 and 274
COMMENTS ON STATUS -
Proposal has been made to reclassify Arctic peregrine subspecies to
threatened status for 2 reasons: lowered levels of DDT and its metabolites
in females and increased numbers of young produced annually since the
mid-1970's *768*
Status - 1 (DRAFT) - Distribution
Species falcon, arctic peregrine
Species Id M040403
Date 26 AUG 96
DISTRIBUTION
References on County Occurrence - 001 and 131
References on Seasonal Occurrence - Main migration route along Maryland-Virginia coastline
which includes Accomack and Northampton counties *761*
References on County Abundance - 001 and 131
REFERENCES FOR OTHER DISTRIBUTION - A
Distribution - 1 HABITAT ASSOCIATIONS
HABITAT - Terrestrial
REFERENCES FOR HABITAT - 761, 488 and 685
LAND USE -
Urban or Built-up Land
Mixed Urban or Built-up Land
Water
Bays and Estuaries
Chesapeake Bay
Atlantic Ocean Coastal Waters
Wetland
Nonforested Wetland
Barren Land
Beaches
Sandy Areas other than Beaches
REFERENCES FOR LAND USE - 761, 488, 763, 449 and 685
NATIONAL WETLAND INVENTORY CODES
NWI NWICLS NWIMOD NWISPEC
Marine, intertidal BB1
Marine, intertidal BB2
Estuarine, intertidal BB1
Estuarine, intertidal BB2
Riverine, intermittent BB1
Riverine, intermittent BB2
REFERENCES FOR NWI - 761, 488, 763, 449 and 685
COMMENTS ON HABITAT ASSOCIATIONS -
Breeds in treeless tundra area of arctic Alaska, Canada,
and western Greenland *685*; nest sites located near rivers, lakes and
marshes where prey species are more abundant and vulnerable *761,488*;
nests constructed on ledges, slopes or in caves of tall cliffs, on
seastacks, or river cutbanks, in areas of least disturbance
*761,488,449,766*; in central Canadian barrens, nest sites located on
dykes, boulders or hummocks often less than 1 m above ground level
*761*; migrating species closely follow the Great Lakes, coastal and
barrier beach shorelines *761,488,762*; species is highly migratory and
winters in coastal areas of the U.S., West Indies, and Central and South
America where adequate prey populations are found *488,765*
POTENTIAL NATURAL VEGETATION -
065 Northern Cordgrass Prairie (Distichlis-Spartina)
101 Oak - Hickory - Pine Forest (Quercus-Carya-Pinus)
REFERENCES FOR PNV - 761
ECOREGION -
Southeastern Mixed Forest: Flat Plains
REFERENCES FOR ECOREGION - 761
Habitat Associations - 1 (DRAFT) - Food Habits
Species falcon, arctic peregrine
Species Id M040403
Date 26 AUG 96
FOOD HABITS
TROPHIC LEVEL -
Carnivore
REFERENCES FOR TROPHIC LEVEL - 761, 488, 449 and 766
LIFESTAGE FOOD FOOD PART
General Aves Not Specified
General Anatidae Not Specified
General Charadriiformes Not Specified
General Charadriidae Not Specified
General Scolopacidae Not Specified
General Columbidae Not Specified
General Passeriformes Not Specified
General See Comments; Food See Comments
Important Aves Not Specified
Important See Comments; Food See Comments
REFERENCES FOR GENERAL FOOD - 761, 488, 449 and 766
REFERENCES FOR IMPORTANT FOOD - 761, 488 and 766
COMMENTS ON FOOD -
9999S=in food study of Yukon peregrines, waterfowl constituted
50% of diet by weight, shorebirds 10-12%, small gulls 10-15%, small land
birds 20% (Piciformes and Passeriformes), and small mammals only 2-3%
*766*
Food Habits - 1 (DRAFT) - Environment Associations
Species falcon, arctic peregrine
Species Id M040403
Date 26 AUG 96
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOCIATIONS
G = General A = Adult
LIM = Limiting RA = Resting Adult
J = Juvenile FA = Feeding Adult
RJ = Resting Juvenile BA = Breeding Adult
FJ = Feeding Juvenile P = Pupae
L = Larvae E = Egg
RL = Resting Larvae
FL = Feeding Larvae
LIFESTAGE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOCIATIONS
G Terrestrial Features: Cliffs/ledges
G Coastal Features: Sand beaches
G Coastal Features: Mudflats
REFERENCES FOR ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOC_ - 761, 488, 449, 766 and 685
Environment Associations - 1 (DRAFT) - Life History
Species falcon, arctic peregrine
Species Id M040403
Date 26 AUG 96
LIFE HISTORY
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: has same features as American
peregrine (anatum subspecies) but is smaller, paler in color, whiter on
breast, and has narrower black moustache marks on side of face
*488,685*; medium-sized, pointed wings, swift-flying falcon with
prominent black and white underparts streaked and barred with black;
immatures are brown above and have leaner streaking on underparts than
adults *761*; REPRODUCTION: species arrival on breeding grounds is
synchronized with the arrival of their major prey species *761*;
breeding season: middle of May into June; incubation period: about 33
days; incubation and brooding primarily by female, who sits more closely
than females in more southern latitudes *761*; clutch size: average for
Arctic birds is 3 eggs *761,685*; average fledging success on the
Colville River, Alaska, was 1.4 young per nest *761*; breeding behavior:
females are dominant over males *761*; food brought to nest by male for
female during incubation and for female to feed to young once hatching
occurs *761*; BEHAVIOR: territoriality: very territorial during breeding
season; area immediately near nesting cliff is defended most intensely
against all other predatory birds; area farther out is defended only
over food *761*; migration: species is highly migratory *762*; majority
of migrants seen along Atlantic coast appear to be from the Arctic
subspecies *771*; they migrate for the most part along the Atlantic
coast, but some go through the U.S. interior; the Atlantic coastal
flight includes those from western Greenland *761,763,764*; they winter
in the coastal areas of the southern U.S., the West Indies, and Central
and South America *762*; in a peregrine banding effort on
Maryland-Virginia coast beaches, 83-84% of the population banded in a 10
year period were immatures *764*; nest site: cliff nests are most
typical and are on a ledge or in a hole usually under an overhang and
mostly along rivers, lakes, or marshes where prey is abundant *761,488*
nest itself is usually a scrape in earth or gravel with no lining *761*;
ORIGIN: native *760,404,407*; POPULATION PARAMETERS: decline in species
population of Arctic Canada and Alaska detected in early 1970's; cause
was attributed to residues of organo-chlorines in tissues and eggs,
affecting normal reproduction *761,771*; despite banning of DDT use in
U.S. in 1972, it is still widely used in Central and South America where
many of the Arctic peregrines and their migratory prey winter; this
situation is a difficult one to solve *488,765,766,767,770*; the status
of species has apparently improved since the mid-70's for the Fish and
Wildlife Service has proposed reclassifying the species from endangered
to threatened; levels of DDT and its metabolites in females have been
decreasing and number of young produced annually increasing *768*;
AQUATIC/TERRESTRIAL ASSOCIATIONS: former rough-legged hawk nests are
sometimes used as nest sites *761*; in addition to man, predators on
eggs and young include timber wolf, red fox, Arctic ground squirrel, and
golden eagle, but none of them have a significant effect *761*;
gyrfalcons apparently can affect peregrine density and distribution by
keeping them from the larger river cliffs *761*
REFERENCES FOR LIFE HISTORY- 760, 404, 761, 488, 762, 407, 763, 764, 765, 766, 767, 768, 685, 770 and 771
Life History - 1 (DRAFT) - Management Practices
Species falcon, arctic peregrine
Species Id M040403
Date 26 AUG 96
MANAGEMENT PRACTICES
RESULT MANAGEMENT PRACTICE
Beneficial Controlling pollution [thermal, chemical, physical]
Beneficial Other management practices [specified in comments]
REFERENCES FOR BENEFICIAL MANAGEMENT PRACTICES - 761, 488, 765 and 766
COMMENTS ON MANAGEMENT PRACTICES -
999(B)=captive breeding and reintroduction of species to
sustain remnant populations and restore extinct population in presence
of DDT contamination: young of all 3 North American subspecies,
including F. p. tundrius, have been produced successfully *765*; major
efforts at captive breeding and reintroduction are being made through
Cornell Univ. and the Canadian Wildlife Service *761,488*
Management Practices - 1 (DRAFT) - References
Species falcon, arctic peregrine
Species Id M040403
Date 26 AUG 96
References
404* Union, American Ornithologists'. 1957. Check-list of North
American Birds. American Ornithologists' Union Baltimore,
Md:691.
407* Union, American Ornithologists', Nomencl., Comm. on
Classif. and. 1982. Thirty-fourth supplement to the AOU
check-list of North American birds. Auk 99(3):Supplement.
449* Brown, L.H., Amadon, D. 1968. Eagles, Hawks and Falcons of
the World. 2. McGraw-Hill New York:945.
488* Evans, D.L. 1982. Status reports on twelve raptors. Spec.
Sci. Rep.-Wildl. No. 238. U.S. Dep. Inter., U.S. Fish and Wildl.
Serv. Washington, D.C:68.
575* Mayr, E. 1969. Principles of Systematic Zoology.
McGraw-Hill New York, N.Y:428.
585* Flook, J. M., Ubelarer, J. E. 1972. A survey of matazoan
parasites in unioned bivalves of Garza Little Elm Reservoir,
Benton County, Texas. Texas J. Sci. 23:381-392.
680* Ferguson, R.S. 1980. A technique for live trapping nesting
horned grebes. J. Field Ornithol. 51(2):179-180.
685* Service, U. S. Fish and Wildlife. 1973. Threatened wildlife
of the United States. Resource Publication 114. U.S. Dep. Inter.
Washington, D.C:289.
758* (ed.)1982. Fish and wildlife. 50 CFR 10 (Code of Federal
Regulations). General Serv. Admin. Washington, D.C:7.
760* White, C.M. 1968. Diagnosis and relationships of the North
American tundra-inhabiting peregrine falcons. Auk 85:179-191.
761* Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife. 1980. Arctic peregrine
falcon. (1.51). U.S. Dep. Inter., Off. Biol. Serv. Washington,
D.C:9.
762* Enderson, J.H. 1969. Coastal migration data as population
indices for the peregrine falcon. Peregrine Falcon Populations:
Their Biology and Decline Hickey, J.J. Univ. Wisconsin Press
Madison.
763* Ward, F.P., Berry, R.B. 1972. Autumn migrations of
peregrine falcons on Assateague Island, 1970-71. J. Wildl.
Manage. 36:484-492.
764* Rice, J.N. 1969. A peregrine population index on the
Maryland-Virginia coast. Peregrine Falcon Populations: Their
Biology and Decline Hickey, J.J. Univ. Wis. Press Madison,
References - 1 (DRAFT) - References
Species falcon, arctic peregrine
Species Id M040403
Date 26 AUG 96
Wis:279-280.
765* Burnham, W.A. 1978. Artificial increase in reproduction of
wild peregrine falcons. J. Wildl. Manage. 42:625-628.
766* Cade, T.J., White, C.M., Haugh, J.R. 1968. Peregrines and
pesticides in Alaska. Condor 70:170-178.
767* (ed.)1969. Conference summary-arctic migration. Peregrine
Falcon Populations: Their Biology and Decline. Univ. Wisconsin
Press Madison, Wis:555-556.
768* Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife. 1983. News release for
April 1, 1983. U.S. Dep. Inter. Washington, D.C.
770* Peakall, D.B. 1976. The peregrine falcon and pesticides.
Can. Field-Nat. 90:301-307.
771* Lincer, J.L., Cade, T.J., Devine, J.M. 1970. Organochlorine
residues in Alaskan peregrine falcons (Falco peregrinus
Tunstall), rough-legged hawks (Buteo lagopus Pontoppidan) and
their prey. Can. Field-Nat. 84:255-263.
828* Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife. 1983. Republication of the
lists of endangered and threatened species. Federal Register
17.11-17.12:1-24.
References - 2