Peregrine Falcons
A peregrine falcon settled down on a branch,and sat on her egg. Suddenly, a crack appeared in the egg. It was way too early for the egg to hatch!!! What was wrong with it, and why did it start to crack?
Peregrine falcons used to be endangered. Loss of habitat and a pesticide called DDT impacted them greatly to where they almost went extinct. DDT, a pesticide, was (and still is in some places) used to ward off mosquitoes and other invasive species. This pesticide was sprayed across crops and ended up in the soil and in rivers. Fish consumed this pesticide unintentionally and then birds like the peregrine falcon and the golden eagle caught and ate the fish. Then this pesticide entered into their system.
DDT causes Peregrine falcons to lay thinly-shelled eggs that were easily broken. When the female incubated (sat on) the eggs, they would brake, killing the developing embryo inside.
Peregrine falcons like moderate to warm habitats,and they need a habitat with abundant prey. They usually inhabit narrow canyons and rugged mountains and are frequently found near bodies of water preying on birds there.
Peregrine falcons can migrate from Alaska to Argentina, a distance of 15,000 miles. However, when they do so, since DDT is still used in some parts of South America, they could still be impacted.
Peregrine falcons have been off the endangered species list since 1996. Now, they are listed as a species of least concern by ICUN Red List. That does not mean you can go banging around, shooting them like crazy.
To learn more about endangered species, check out our link on Endangered Species!
By Liam Lustberg
February 18th, 2009Topic: Articles Tags: Liam
