Yosemite Conservancy – April 2022 – What is faster than a race car, can see a meal up to a mile away, and is exquisitely engineered for a vertical lifestyle?
The peregrine falcon, falco peregrinus!
The peregrine falcon was once extirpated from much of its native range, including Yosemite where it disappeared for decades, leading to its listing as an endangered species in the early 1970s. Thanks to the collaborative efforts of Yosemite climbers, University of California Santa Cruz Predatory Bird Research Group, and NPS biologists, with generous funding from Yosemite Conservancy donors, the story of Yosemite’s peregrine falcon is one of hope. Watch our latest video to learn more.
Peregrine Falcons are one of the most majestic and powerful birds in the world, and they are so quintessential to the cliffs of Yosemite national park. They’re also known to be the fastest animal in the world with speeds, exceeding 200 miles per hour. So the paragraph uses its speed to hunt. And the way that it does that is pretty unique in its stoop of, you know, 200 miles per hour. It flies down on its prey and knocks its prey out of the air with its brute force and then will swoop down and capture its prey with speed. That really has to be seen to be believed.
In 1995, there were only five pairs of peregrine falcons that were documented in the park. And now we have over 13 pairs Today in Yosemite, we monitor the peregrines. We have a Peregrine surveyor who observes the peregrines on a daily basis. And as he’s observing the birds, he’s thinking about, is this just an individual Is this individual paired up Is this pair nesting If they’re nesting, are they nesting in a location where they might be vulnerable to the disturbance of climbers And if so, what can we do to protect them from that disturbance Are there certain climbing routes that we should close to make sure that we’re protecting the Peregrine, We’re going to lift those closures as soon as we can, as soon as the birds are fledged and no longer need that specific site protection, The Peregrine story is arguably a grand success story.
Source: Yosemite Conservancy
