Peregrine falcon (pealei and anatum/tundrius) COSEWIC assessment and status report: chapter 5
Habitat
Habitat requirements
The Peregrine Falcon occurs in a wide range of habitats, from Arctic tundra to coastal islands, desert canyons and major metropolitan centres (Cade 1982). Although its diet is flexible (White et al. 2002), it breeds only in habitats with access to sufficient food supplies. In all areas, suitable nest sites are patchily distributed on the landscape level, but can be locally common. Extensive areas of Canada, where Peregrine Falcons are absent, appear to lack suitable nest sites or, if nest sites are present, lack sufficient prey (e.g. Labrador, J. Brazil personal communication (pers. comm.) 2006).
Nest-site characteristics
Most Peregrine Falcons nest on cliff ledges or crevices near good foraging areas. Cliffs ranging from 50–200 m high are preferred ( Cade 1960; White and Cade 1971). Other nest sites include: tops of pingos in tundra, cuts for roadbeds, Common Raven (Corvus corax) nests on electric-transmission towers, stone quarries, open-pit mines, a variety of buildings, churches, and bridges in metropolitan centres, usually aided by an artificial nest box ( Frank 1994; Bell et al. 1996; Cade et al. 1996) and towers such as power generating stations in rural areas (G. Holroyd pers. comm. 2007).
In British Columbia, Anatum nests typically are on cliffs along lake shores, rivers, or at confluences of major valleys which provide easy access to prey (e.g. Cannings et al. 1987). In Alberta, Peregrine Falcon breeding sites are widespread. In southern Alberta most nests are on human-made structures, elsewhere most are natural nest sites confined to the banks of rivers throughout the province, or on cliffs overlooking lakes in the Canadian Shield region (Alberta Peregrine Falcon Recovery Team 2004). In Ontario, most nest sites are on cliffs or buildings in urban areas (Peck and James 1993). In Labrador, all nest sites are on cliffs (J. Brazil pers. comm. 2006).
Tundrius Peregrine Falcons in Rankin Inlet nest in south- or southwest-facing vertical coastal cliffs ( Court et al. 1988a), or in rocky bluffs in inland tundra areas ( Court et al. 1988b).
Pealei Peregrine Falcons typically nest in small cliffs tucked under overhanging Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis) roots on hillsides, but nest cliffs can reach up to 366 m. Pealei Peregrine Falcons also occasionally nest in abandoned tree nests (as low as 12 m) of Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) or cormorants (Phalacrocorax spp.) or in natural tree cavities (Campbell et al. 1977, 1990).
Habitat trends
Natural nesting habitat appears not to have changed significantly since populations crashed and is still available for reoccupancy (Rowell 2002). Many pairs in southern Canada also nest on human-made structures. Some foraging areas have been markedly impacted by urbanization and other land uses, but alternative areas are available and Peregrine Falcons are usually able to prey on a variety of taxa.
Habitat protection/ownership
Ownership of nesting and foraging habitat is a mix of private and public lands (Rowell 2002). In Ontario, for instance, a substantial number of cliff sites occur on private land (e.g. western Lake Superior, A. Dextrase pers. comm. 2006), and many of the coastal Anatums in British Columbia often nest on private property (D. Doyle pers. comm. 2004). In Quebec, Anatum Peregrines nest on federal lands at Cap Tourmente National Wildlife Reserve and Gros Cacouna. Much of the Mackenzie Valley population and other northern populations are within areas subject to present or future management by Aboriginal governments.
In Nunavut, Tundrius Peregrine Falcon nest sites are widely distributed across Crown Land, national parks and Aboriginal Lands (Table 2, M. Setterington pers. comm. 2006). Peregrine Falcon nest sites in the Northwest Territories are also distributed across a range of Crown, park and Aboriginal land (Table 3, S. Carrière pers. comm. 2007). In Labrador, 10% of nest sites are on federal land and 31% are on Inuit land (J. Brazil pers. comm. 2007).
Most Pealei nest sites are within BC provincial parks and ecological reserves, or Canadian National Park Reserves (Fraser et al. 1999). For Pealei Peregrine Falcons, prey is generally protected because most BC seabird colonies are protected in one form or another (Hipfner et al. 2002). However, seabirds themselves are facing numerous threats (see Limiting Factors).
Jurisdiction | Nests | % total |
---|---|---|
Municipal |
2
|
0.4
|
Inuit Owned Land (IOL) |
200
|
44.7
|
Conservation LandsTable notea |
66
|
14.8
|
IOL in Conservation LandsTable noteb |
23
|
5.1
|
Federal Lands |
156
|
34.9
|
Total Peregrine Nest Sites |
447
|
100.0
|
Jurisdiction | Nests | % total |
---|---|---|
Municipal & Commisionner Land (GNWT) |
14
|
5.8
|
Inuvialuit Owned Land (Private) |
36
|
14.8
|
Gwich'in Owned Land (Private) |
33
|
13.6
|
Private Land in the Sahtu Settlement Area (Private) |
26
|
10.7
|
Protected Areas e.g. National Parks, Migratory Bird Sanctuary (GC) |
34
|
14
|
Crown Land in Land Settlement Areas & Regions (GC) |
96
|
39.5
|
Crown Land outside Land Settlement Areas & Regions (GC) |
4
|
1.6
|
Total Peregrine Nest Sites |
243
|
100.0
|
Notes: Commissioner’s land (GNWT or GNU) usually is part of a community or TerritorialParkcreated for recreational purposes, and some restrictions exist on land use. Beneficiaries of a land claim agreement own surface rights, and in some areas, subsurface rights, to private lands. For these, everybody (individuals and companies) needs permission to access and permits for land use, and some restrictions apply. In protected areas, there are some restrictions on access, all need a permit for land use, and some restrictions apply. On Crown land (all federal), there are co-management instruments of land use application; some limited restrictions apply. Note that Boards administer all land uses in the NT and NU with some co-management principles (consultation). All raptors’ nests are protected under both the NU and the NWT wildlife acts (territorial legislations). Also note that Crown land in the territories is considered ‘Federal’ land under SARA as it relates to critical habitat provisions, but not as it relates to automatic prohibitions. Includes only sites for which precise Lat and Long coordinate information exists.
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