Ledges and hawk nests on cliffs are used for nesting.
Peregrine falcons have a strong affinity to certain sites as
nesting areas. In some places
in the world, the same cliff face has been used by successive pairs of peregrine
falcons for over 200 years.
Up
to four eggs are laid in a shallow scrape in May or June.
The eyasses begin to fly at the age of 39 days.
Peregrine falcons which nest at sites on the tundra migrate farther south
into South America than do peregrine falcons nesting within the taiga.
The
final moments of a peregrine’s hunt can be a spectacular sight as he folds his
wings, often diving from a great height, to stun a flying songbird or duck with
a blow from his large feet, knocking the quarry onto the ground amongst a flurry
of feathers. The recurring desire to witness those final thrilling moments
of a hunt have caused peregrine falcons to be highly sought after by falconers.
Since
1982 the NWT has been home to an intensive study of the population biology of
peregrine falcons in Rankin Inlet. This
study has become the longest running study of peregrines in the world and has
provided valuable information about the normal death rate of breeders, movement
between territories, divorce rates, the relationship between reproductive
variability and weather, diet, and behaviour.
Peregrine
falcons in North America experienced a decline in numbers primarily from the
effects of ingesting DDT-contaminated prey.
In response to this decline, several breeding programs have been
established to produce peregrine falcons.
The Canadian Wildlife Service facility at Wainwright, Alberta, has been given
falcons by NWT Department of Environment and
Natural Resources
to maintain a breeding reserve.
Surveys
during the 1980's have indicated that in the NWT population levels and
production of peregrines are now at healthy levels.
However, the peregrine study in
Rankin Inlet has shown that NWT populations still carry significant pesticide
loads. Even a minor change in
agricultural practices in the peregrine's wintering grounds in Central and South
America could result in another population catastrophe.
