Birds - Back From The Brink—success Stories

The Peregrine Falcon

Many falcon species have declined with the spread of humans. Like other predatory species, falcons were often hunted, either for sport or because they were considered a threat to chickens or livestock.

The peregrine falcon is the fastest bird on Earth. It can achieve diving speeds of over 200 miles per hour. Like the bald eagle, much of the species' decline was due to the pesticide DDT. Populations sank to approximately 325 nesting pairs during the 1930s and 1940s. The recovery of this species was made possible by the banning of DDT as well as the establishment of special captive breeding centers on several continents. Between 1974 and 1999 more than 6,000 peregrine falcons were released into the wild. Federal and state agencies contributed to the conservation effort, as did private organizations such as the Peregrine Fund, Santa Cruz Predatory Bird Research Group, and Midwestern Peregrine Falcon Restoration Project.

In 1996 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service declared the peregrine falcon officially recovered and began the process to remove the species from the Endangered Species List. The American peregrine falcon was delisted in 1999 across its entire range. In 2003 the FWS conducted a postdelisting survey to monitor the ongoing condition of the species. At that time 3,000 breeding pairs were counted in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Another survey will be completed in 2006.

Aleutian Canada Goose

The Aleutian Canada goose was first placed on the Endangered Species List in 1966, when there were an estimated 800 individuals. The species had been thought extinct for several decades until a remnant population was discovered in 1962 by FWS biologists on a remote Aleutian island. Deterioration of habitat and the introduction of predators such as Arctic foxes and red foxes were blamed for the animal's decline. According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, in April 2006 the goose population had rebounded to 15,000. Conservation efforts included captive breeding, removal of foxes, and relocation and reintroduction of geese to unoccupied islands. The Aleutian Canada goose was officially delisted in 2001.