Return of the Alpomado Falcon
The northern aplomado falcon (Falco femoralis septentrionalis) was once found throughout the grasslands of the American Southwest. The species declined dramatically during the early part of the century, primarily due to the degradation of its open grassland habitat. Later, the remaining northern aplomado falcons suffered from the same DDT-induced eggshell thinning that almost wiped out the peregrine falcon and other birds of prey. "The general theory is that the aplomados were declining due to loss of habitat and that DDT finished them off," explains Linda Laack, wildlife biologist at the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge near Brownsville, Texas. The northern aplomado falcon was listed as endangered in 1986.
Earlier this year, biologists discovered a pair of northern aplomado falcons nesting just south of the wildlife refuge: the first pair of aplomados to nest in the U.S. since 1952. The birds had been raised by The Peregrine Fund in Boise, Idaho. Since 1985, The Fund has released more than 60 young northern aplomado falcons into south Texas. Of these, 43 have made it to adulthood. Many were killed by owls, hawks, and coyotes. The Peregrine Fund plans to release 30 to 40 northern aplomado falcons per year at the refuge and at other sites nearby. "We want to get enough falcons out there so they can find each other and mate," notes Laack.
