Prairie and peregrine falcon occupancy and productivity monitoring at Pinnacles National Park: 2020 annual report
Emmons G. 2021. Prairie and peregrine falcon occupancy and productivity monitoring at Pinnacles National Park: 2020 annual report. Natural Resource Report. NPS/SFAN/NRR—2021/2315. National Park Service. Fort Collins, Colorado. https://doi.org/10.36967/nrr-2287695
Pinnacles National Park (“Pinnacles”) provides diverse habitats for numerous cliff-nesting raptors, including prairie falcons (Falco mexicanus) and peregrine falcons (F. peregrinus), as well as a spectacular array of summits and cliff-wall routes for rock-climbers. This monitoring program was established to determine long-term trends in the number of occupied territories and productivity of nesting prairie and peregrine falcons. The monitoring program grew out of a need to reduce potential disturbance that climbers and off-trail hikers may have on cliff-nesting raptors. This report summarizes the results from the 2020 breeding season and represents the 35th year of monitoring at the Park, consistent with the standardized methods and procedures detailed in the Prairie Falcon Monitoring Protocol for Pinnacles National Monument (Emmons et al. 2011). To monitor falcons, field technicians surveyed all potential nest sites three times per breeding season, with visits spaced 21 to 28 days apart. We revisited those nests determined to be active to confirm rearing of nestlings and fledging of young. In 2020, we conducted monitoring from 1 January 2020 until 20 July 2020, with a total of over 150 possible and active nest sites monitored during 915 observation hours. We documented 13 territorial pairs of prairie and peregrine falcons this year, with 11 pairs actively nesting. Seven nests successfully fledged 22 young; four nests failed. The data from 35 years of falcon monitoring at Pinnacles suggest an apparent downward trend in annual prairie falcon productivity, supplemented but not entirely offset by increased peregrine falcon breeding efforts in recent years (Appendix C).
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Emmons, Gavin
- Date of Issue
- 2021-10
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- DOI
- 10.36967/nrr-2287695
- Units
- NRSS , PINN , SFAN
- Keywords
- accipiters, advisories, Annual Report, California, climbing, closures, conservation, eagles, falcon, kites, management, monitoring, monument, national, nesting, occupancy, owls, peregrine, pinnacles, Prairie, prairie falcons, productivity, protection, raptor, rock, wildlife
- Subjects
- Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | Focal Species or Communities | Birds