Subject: Re: FWD: EBN: raptors
Date: Feb 16 08:48:02 1998
From: Kelly Mcallister - mcallkrm at dfw.wa.gov


Tweeters,

On Mon, 16 Feb 1998, Michael Price asked for a more local response to problems
observed elsewhere:

> >Here in Yorkshire we have an
> >ongoing problem with the destruction of raptor nests, both eggs and young
> >of Peregrine are frequently taken.

In Washington, Peregrine Falcon (I recently got chastised for capitalizing
common names of critters as it is not the Journal of Wildlife Management
standard, Hrrumph) eyries are observed rather closely, some repeatedly
during the nesting season, some only twice (an April and a June visit).
In Washington we are up to around 45 nesting pairs, a substantial increase
from the one known nesting pair in 1975. Anyway, we see nesting failures and,
sometimes, the cause is unknown and may involve illegal take of the young.
But, it does not appear to be a widespread problem, if it exists at all.
Maybe David Anderson will comment further since he has quite a lot of
experience with nesting Peregrine Falcons in southern Washington.

> >In my own area, last year, no Peregrine
> >young fledged. Recent information suggests that even Merlin are now being
> >taken for falconry in significant numbers.

I used to review all of the falconry take records for Washington. I mapped
the locations of the eyries and entered the data on number of young into
a computer file. This was in 1986 through 1988 or so. Since that time,
interest in taking birds from the wild has dropped off considerably. I
have been told that desireable captive-bred birds are inexpensive enough
to make them the better choice for most falconers. We used to have
falconry take of Prairie Falcons, Goshawks, and an occasional Merlin.
We didn't even keep track of Red-tailed hawk and Kestrel take. The numbers
taken each year were not very large. I think the highest number in a single
year was 13 Prairie Falcons when I was involved.

> >Whilst, here at least, the
> >knowledge of these people (the thieves) is apparently frighteningly
> >accurate, it is important that raptor nest sites are kept as confidential
> >as possible.
> Do the various falconers' associations have explicit policy on this? Yes/No.

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has a sensitive wildlife information
policy that restricts sharing of site-specific information. It applies to
selected species and there are provisions for landowners to get information
for their lands by signing a Memorandum of Understanding regarding the
security that they are expected to maintain. Prairie Falcon and Goshawk
nests, as well as Peregrine Falcon nests, come under this restrictive policy.

In general, falconers do not even ask about these nest site locations. Most
of them are pretty knowledgeable about the wild birds in our area and don't
need any help if they have an interest taking a wild (and legal) bird.


I admit to being a little out-of-touch with the falconry now that I have
moved on to other things in my job so if anyone has other information
of perspectives, I would like to read them.

Kelly McAllister