On the Wing Again

From the skyscrapers of Los Angeles to the vast, open skies of Alaska, peregrine falcons soar in numbers unimaginable 28 years ago. The world’s fastest bird is back in such sufficient numbers that it no longer needs federal protection under the Endangered Species Act. That’s good news, except to pigeons, rodents and other prey that the falcons favor.

Peregrines came under federal protection in 1970, victims of the agricultural pesticide DDT, which has since been banned. The bird has no natural predators, but DDT contamination in the food chain was causing reproductive problems. Few eggs survived because of thin and fragile shells caused by the poison.

In 1975, only 39 mating pairs of peregrine falcons were known to exist in the lower 48 states. Under federal and private programs, those numbers have grown to 1,593, more than double the program’s original target.

Falcons are highly adaptable raptors, and the federal Fish and Wildlife Service says they will be removed from the endangered list in November, after a public-comment period. Peregrines already have some protection from hunters and other threats under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. They are only the seventh restored species to be removed from the list, which Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt promised in May to work harder to whittle down. Restoration of the peregrine is a proud step.