Perch site selection by reintroduced peregrine falcons Falco peregrinus

Matthew R. Dzialak, Kristina M. Carter, Michael J. Lacki

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

2 Scopus citations

Abstract

As part of a program to recover the peregrine falcon Falco peregrinus in the southeastern U.S. we recorded perching behaviour with the objective of characterizing perches used in the reintroduction area. We used a site-attribute design and logistic regression to compare characteristics between used and non-used perches. Peregrines used pines Pinus spp. exclusively, while pines comprised 78% of available trees. Perches were larger than non-used trees (diameter at breast height in cm (in x- ± SD); 29.2 ± 15.7 and 23.9 ± 10.3), in more advanced stages of decay (2.5 ± 1.5 and 1.5 ± 1.1 (index)), and usually dominant in crown class (1.5 ± 0.6 and 1.7 ± 0.5 (index)). Perches were always on cliff plateaus and tended to be situated in sites with a less even canopy (0.5 ± 0.3 and 0.7 ± 0.2 (index)) and fewer deciduous stems (1.8 ± 3.4 and 2.3 ± 2.3 (stem density)) than non-used trees. These attributes depict selection of perches that provide unobstructed flight paths, good visibility, and a capacity to detect and respond rapidly to stimuli.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)225-230
Number of pages6
JournalWildlife Biology
Volume13
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 2007

Keywords

  • Behaviour
  • Falco peregrinus
  • Perch selection
  • Post-fledging
  • Wildlife reintroduction

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
  • Nature and Landscape Conservation
  • Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law

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