Urban Peregrine Falcons
Peregrine falcons are the fastest
animals on earth diving at speeds of more than 200 miles per hour. They are
found on every continent except Antarctica.
Widespread use of the pesticide DDT during the 1940s, 50s, and 60s, caused
peregrines to lay eggs with thin eggshells which cracked during incubation. By
1970, nesting peregrines were virtually eliminated from the Continental United
States—there were no peregrines nesting east of the Mississippi River and only a
handful in the Western United States. In
Oregon,
nesting peregrines disappeared completely. 
DDT was banned in 1972 and the American peregrine falcon was listed as endangered under the Federal Endangered Species Act in 1973. A nearly four decade long recovery effort has brought the American peregrine falcon back from the brink of extinction. Today there are more than 2000 known peregrine nest sites nationwide and more than 140 peregrine nest sites in Oregon. They were delisted from the Federal endangered species list in 1999 and the State of Oregon endangered species list in 2007.
Portland Audubon Society has played
a key role helping to recover peregrines in Oregon. Our activities include educational
outreach, monitoring and research, active management of known nest sites,
captive rearing of peregrine falcons and serving on the Pacific Northwest
Interagency Peregrine Falcon Working Group. Our primary focus is on peregrine
falcon nest sites in the Portland Metropolitan Area which comprise more than 5%
of the known peregrine falcon nest sites in the entire state and which includes
the two most productive nest sites in the state located on the Fremont and Saint John’s Bridges. Audubon’s efforts to protect and
recover the American peregrine falcon have been recognized with awards from the
US Department of Fish and Wildlife, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and
Oregon Chapter of the Wildlife Society.
Although the species is not longer
listed under the Endangered Species Act, Audubon continues to conduct
monitoring, research and outreach activities to ensure that peregrines
populations continue to recover and thrive in the Pacific
Northwest and to raise awareness of this incredible endangered
species success story. There are lots of volunteer opportunities to become
involved in our peregrine falcon monitoring and education programs. For more
information contact Audubon Conservation Director, Bob Sallinger at bsallinger@audubonportland.org.
