Aplomado Falcons were once widespread residents of the American Southwest, but by the 1950s, they'd disappeared entirely from the region. Loss of habitat, loss of prey, and pesticides all played a role. But in the 1980s, a group called The Peregrine Fund began breeding captive Aplomado Falcons. Over the next 25 years, 1,500 fledglings were set free in South Texas. At the same time, conservation pacts with private landowners provided more than two million acres of habitat. Learn more in Related Resources below.
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Aplomado Falcon – Species Recovery in the Works
Written by Bob Sundstrom
This is BirdNote.
[Cassin’s Sparrow song]
The sun rising over a South Texas grassland finds a flock of sparrows, like these Cassin’s Sparrows we’re hearing, perching atop a mesquite bush. They’re awaiting the sun’s first warming rays. [Cassin’s Sparrow song] Suddenly the sparrows flee, as a dark bird of prey races toward them, flying just above the ground at break-neck speed.
This time, the sparrows escape, and their pursuer, an Aplomado Falcon, alights to survey the landscape. [Aplomado Falcon calls] It’s a truly handsome bird, its plumage a bold pattern of black, white, and rust. [Aplomado Falcon calls]
[Its very presence in South Texas is a remarkable story of restoration.] Aplomado Falcons were once widespread residents of the American Southwest, but by the 1950s, they’d disappeared entirely from the region. Loss of habitat, loss of prey, and pesticides all played a role.
But in the 1980s, a group called The Peregrine Fund began breeding captive Aplomado Falcons. Over the next 25 years, 1,500 fledglings were set free in South Texas. At the same time, conservation pacts with private landowners provided more than two million acres of habitat.
While work remains to ensure the bird’s recovery, the handsome Aplomado Falcon appears to have regained a solid foothold in the American Southwest.
[Exchange between a trio of Aplomado Falcons]
For BirdNote, I’m Mary McCann.
BirdNote gives you the sounds of birds every day, and you can get the sights as well when you follow us on Instagram, at BirdNote radio. / @BirdNoteRadio
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Sounds of Cassin’s Sparrow and ambient Texas grassland provided by The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York, recorded by G.A. Keller.
Single Aplomado Falcon recorded by Alvaro Riccetto, the trio by Andrew Spencer, both for Xeno-Canto.
Producer: John Kessler
Executive Producer: Chris Peterson
© 2013 Tune In to Nature.org November 2016 / 2021 Narrator: Mary McCann
ID# SotB-APFA-01-2011-11-08
Bob Sundstrom
Writer
Mary McCann
NarratorSights & Sounds
