Endangered Falcon To Be Reintroduced in New Mexico, Arizona

Under the nonessential experimental population designation, any birds in Arizona or New Mexico are no longer considered endangered

The endangered northern aplomado falcon will be returned to its historical home in Chihuahuan desert grasslands of New Mexico and Arizona, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said.

The federal agency said in a news release Wednesday that up to 150 falcons born in captivity will be reintroduced in southern New Mexico and allowed to fly into Arizona under a special provision of the Endangered Species Act.

"Our goal is to establish a self-sustaining resident population,'' said Benjamin N. Tuggle, acting Southwest Regional Director for Fish and Wildlife.

The reintroduction of month-old birds could begin as early as August, said a Fish and Wildlife spokeswoman, Elizabeth Slown.

The falcons will be released in groups of five to seven on private and public lands.

The northern aplomado falcon is identified by a white stripe above the eye and a brown "vest.''

The falcon was listed as endangered in 1986.

Under the nonessential experimental population designation, any birds in Arizona or New Mexico are no longer considered endangered, although they will continue to have some protections.

For example, it will still be illegal to shoot or harass them or to take their eggs, Slown said.

Nationwide, it is likely to take a decade for the aplomado falcon to be removed from the endangered list.

The falcon has been seen sporadically over the years in New Mexico and Arizona, but has only successfully nested once since the 1950s.

At that time, pesticide contamination that caused the chicks to hatch too early led to severe population declines.

The falcons will come from The Peregrine Fund's facility in Boise, Idaho, which also supplies birds for recovery efforts in Texas.

In Texas, where efforts to reintroduce the falcons have been underway for two decades, more than 1,000 falcons have been released and more than 244 young have successfully fledged.

Copyright 2006 Albuquerque Journal - Reprinted with permission


 

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