Abstract
Restoration efforts for peregrine falcons (Falco peregrinus) in Indiana and the Midwest have resulted in a current Hoosier breeding population of 24 territories in 2013. Beginning in 1989, 27 nesting sites were documented in 13 Indiana counties with most (59%) located in the three counties bordering Lake Michigan. Nests have been found in industrial (78% of sites) and urban (21%) areas, with steel mills, power plants, office buildings, and bridges being most frequently used by falcons. Eighty-eight percent of nesting attempts have been successful, with a mean of 2.46 young/nesting attempt produced to flight stage. Eighty-seven percent of nestlings were banded prior to fledging. Productivity among individual breeders varied dramatically with five males and four females each producing over 30 chicks. The 63 nesting adults that were identified by their leg bands originated from 11 states, most frequently from Indiana, Wisconsin, and Illinois. Breeding adults settled an average of 135 miles (range 0-530 miles) from their original nest or release site to their eventual nest location. Current numbers of breeding peregrine falcons in Indiana and the Midwest are well above what they were historically.
Creative Commons License
Recommended Citation
Castrale, John
(2014)
"Twenty-five Years of Peregrine Falcon Nesting in Indiana,"
Indiana Audubon Quarterly: Vol. 92
:
Iss.
1
, Article 5.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/iaq/vol92/iss1/5