by: Sherman Boates & Donald Sam
FALL 1994
The peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) is one of four falcon species found in Nova Scotia. The American kestrel, the merlin, and the gyrfalcon are also seen in the province. However, the peregrine falcon gained worldwide attention in the mid 1970s when it was on the verge of extinction.
Peregrines are known to have nested at 15 sites in the Maritime provinces. The most recent breeding record was in 1962 in Charlottetown, P.E.I. Between the late 1960s and the early 1970s, the breeding population of peregrine falcons in Europe and eastern North America declined suddenly. By 1975, surveys in Canada recorded no active nests east of Alberta. Researchers attributed this decline to the wide spread use of organochlorine pesticides, which contaminated birds and ultimately hampered their breeding success.
Bans and restrictions on the use of organochlorine pesticides and the initiation of a captive breeding program helped restore the peregrine falcon over its former range. In 1974, the Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS) breeding facility in Wainwright, Alberta conducted its first experimental release of peregrines. From 1974 on peregrines have been released at hack sites across Canada, from Alberta to the Maritimes.
Releasing birds of prey at a site or box without the care of any adult raptor is known as hacking. Peregrine falcons are three to five weeks old when received at a hack site. They are housed and fed on site in hack boxes and then released at six or seven weeks. Because young birds have no human contact during rearing and hacking, they do not imprint on their adoptive caretakers.
CWS coordinates the National Peregrine Recovery Program. World Wildlife Fund Canada provides the primary funding, along with other sponsors, such as Denison Mines Ltd., the National Sportsperson's Show, and the Tecolate Foundation. The Atlantic Canada program involves CWS Atlantic, Mount Allison University, the New Brunswick Department of Lands and Forestry, and the Nova Scotia Department of Lands and Forestry (NSDNR).
Initially, Nova Scotia's involvement in the program was restricted to the release site at Cape d'Or between 1982 - 1986. However, operations shifted to Blomidon and Five Islands Provincial Parks for the mass hacking project from 1987 - 1991. During the mass hacking project, CWS and NSDNR Wildlife Division coordinated and supervised the releases.
A total of 178 peregrines was released in the upper Bay of Fundy region between 1982 and 1991 (see table) from five sites: Fundy National Park (55 released) and Quaco Head (14) in New Brunswick, and Cape d'Or (34), Blomidon (37), and Five Islands (38) in Nova Scotia. Sixty per cent of the releases took place in Nova Scotia. Approximately two-thirds of the Atlantic region releases occurred during the five-year mass hacking program, with two-thirds being hacked in Nova Scotia. Surveys in Nova Scotia have not yet yielded any evidence of breeding.
Before the captive breeding program, CWS surveyed the Maritime provinces in 1970, 1975, and 1980. This included a comprehensive survey of the Bay of Fundy in 1975 and the Nova Scotia side in 1980.
Since the Bay of Fundy captive-release program began in 1982, there have been aerial surveys by CWS in 1986 and by NSDNR in 1990, 1992, and 1994. These surveys included visits to historical and potential nesting sites along Cape Blomidon in the Minas Basin and sites along the Parrsborro shore, from Five Islands to Apple River. Follow-up ground checks in 1990 at Five Islands, Cape d'Or, and Cape Chignecto, at Isle Haute in 1992, and at The Brothers Islands in 1994 have failed to detect any signs of breeding.
| TABLE: Peregrine Falcon Release | |||||||||||
| 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | Total | |
| (Mass Hacking) | (subtotal) | ||||||||||
| NEW BRUNSWICK | |||||||||||
| Fundy National Park | 3 | 3 | 8 | 7 | 11 | 14 | 9 | - | - | - | 55 (69) |
| Quaco Head | - | - | - | - | - | - | 4 | 5 | 5 | - | 14 |
| NOVA SCOTIA | |||||||||||
| Cape d'Or | 3 | 3 | 8 | 5 | 10 | 5 | - | - | - | - | 34 |
| Blomidon Prov. Park | - | - | - | - | - | 5 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 5 | 37 (109) |
| Five Islands Prov. Park | - | - | - | - | - | 5 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 5 | 38 |
TOTALS |
6 | 6 | 16 | 12 | 21 | 29 | 28 | 25 | 25 | 10 | 178 (178) |
A recovery plan for the Anatum peregrine falcon has been in place since 1988. In 1987, NSDNR Wildlife Division became part of the national team formed to oversee the recovery of the peregrine falcon.
Besides conducting aerial and ground surveys for peregrines every two years, NSDNR records all provincial sightings reported, protects potential nesting habitat, and promotes public awareness and education on issues relating to the peregrine falcon and other species at risk.
Since the Nova Scotia release program began in 1982, Natural Resources has investigated six reports of injured or dead peregrine falcons. Natural causes, such as young birds starving and accidental wing damage, account for the poor condition of three birds. Three other peregrines were shot, with two dying from their wounds. With the most recent shotgun death occurring in the fall of 1993, public education and awareness remain a priority.
Peregrine falcons are protected under the Provincial Wildlife Act (1987) and anyone disturbing or harming these birds may be charged.
In recent years, peak counts of migrating shorebirds in the Minas Basin and Bay of Fundy have increased from 60,000 in 1977 to over 200,000 individuals in 1994. Foraging peregrines on the New Brunswick side of the Bay of Fundy have caused shorebirds to shift their distribution and concentrate in areas along the Nova Scotia side of the Minas Basin. However, some peregrines and merlins have been sighted on the Nova Scotia side. Researchers have noticed that shorebirds have altered their feeding distribution locally in response to the presence of predatory raptors.
Noticing more occurrences of raptors harassing shorebirds, the public have voiced concern to local DNR staff. Although a contest between a sleek, robust falcon and a tiny shorebird appears to be mismatched, the falcon usually ends a pursuit empty handed. Shorebirds are natural prey for falcons, but falcons do not threaten the health of shorebird populations.
Although we have yet to find an active peregrine breeding site in Nova Scotia, the successful reintroduction of the species into New Brunswick and other parts of Canada is encouraging. Peregrine falcons have been successfully breeding in New Brunswick since 1989, and five known nests produced 13 young in 1993. Suitable nesting habitat exists in Nova Scotia and the annual return of these birds leaves hope that peregrine falcons will soon inhabit their former range in Nova Scotia.
NSDNR continues its efforts to monitor historical nesting sites with the goal of finding a breeding pair. Everyone can help in the recovery of the peregrine falcon by reporting any sightings to a local DNR office.