Falcons find home near Lake Mead

One of America's rarest birds is choosing Lake Mead as its year-round home.

The peregrine falcons nesting at Lake Mead have come a long way. The breed was close to becoming extinct in 1970. It is now ready to be taken off the federal Endangered Species List because its numbers have grown across the nation.

Ross Haley, resource management specialist in charge of wildlife for the National Park Service, has made it his goal to help monitor the peregrine falcons nesting at Lake Mead. Through the years he has witnessed their breeding cycles and nesting habits.

Since 1985 he has watched their numbers grow from almost zero to a steady 14 in Nevada. He has great enthusiasm when speaking of the peregrine, but has a shred of doubt about the de-listing.

"The increase (in population) is real and corresponds with the national trend. There are nine aeries (nests), some active, some not. In a good year, we could have up to nine pair (of birds)," he said.

"But there are legitimate reasons they could still be considered close to extinction. They have come a long way, and the government may just be trying to show good faith -- that once something is listed, it won't always be (that way)."

The falcons live high in the mountains, three to four miles from Lake Mead Marina. They have made that area their year-round home, which is quite unusual since the birds usually migrate. Lake Mead may be the only place in Nevada where the peregrines can be found.

Haley has trapped the birds and inserted transmitters into their feathers, in cooperation with Arizona Game and Fish. That was when he discovered these birds were not migrating as they normally do.

"They may not migrate because the winters aren't a hardship, or they must have enough prey," he said.

Just three miles from the marina, falcons can usually be seen gliding on the wind, looking for prey. Pigeons are used to entice the peregrines to come to a resting place to be observed by wildlife officials. Because falcons live high in the mountains, the chance to see them looks almost impossible until two fledglings (young) swoop down.

Trying to spot these creatures is a challenge because their black, brown and white bodies with pale blue markings seem to blend in with the sky. Black tails with white tips make them look like flashing bullets. The peregrine is one of the fastest birds on the planet, able to reach speeds of 220 mph.

Although some of the pigeons are enticing, peregrines prefer swallows, swifts and other small birds.

The peregrines' presence in Nevada went unnoticed until 1985. While looking for Bighorn sheep, Haley and others found the first pair of falcons.

"No one realized they were even here," he said. "We were all very excited."

Since 1970, peregrines have been on the Endangered Species List. They were close to extinction because of deadly effects of the pesticide DDT. The toxin accumulated in their tissues after they ate prey that had eaten DDT-contaminated insects or seeds. The chemical interfered with eggshell formation, and as a result, falcons laid eggs with shells so thin they often broke during incubation or otherwise failed to hatch.

"There was just a catastrophic decline throughout the world prior to World War II," Donna Withers of the Nevada Fish and Wildlife Department said.

In 1982 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service took a step toward helping repopulate these birds by establishing a worldwide recovery team. The goal of the Pacific Population Recovery Team -- composed of the states of Nevada, Washington, Oregon and California -- was to increase its four-state population to 370 birds. The total in the four states has soared to 478, including 14 in Nevada, which surpassed its goal by four. There is an estimated population of 1,500 nationwide.

The peregrine population is being monitored to assist the federal Department of Wildlife in deciding if the breed is ready to be taken off the Endangered Species List.

Haley used to climb the mountain areas of Lake Mead to monitor the nests, but now watches from a boat.

"Over the years, they seemed to be reproducing, and we were checking to see if the aeries were occupied," he said.

If the falcons are taken off the list, which could take a year, Haley will continue to monitor the birds to see if it continues to survive and grow in population.

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