This year marks the centennial of the convention between the United States and Great Britain (for Canada) for the Protection of Migratory Birds (also called the Migratory Bird Treaty) signed on August 16, 1916. Here's a bulletin from the DNR about Michigan's fastest animal and information about the statewide celebration.

The quiet of the peaceful spring day was broken by a high pitched scream – the peregrine falcons in downtown Lansing were defending their territory from a passing red-tailed hawk. Designed for swift flight and high maneuverability, the falcon made tight turns to strike and harass the hawk over and over as it tried to evade and escape the falcon. As the hawk passed out of sight, the falcon spiraled upward on a rising current of warm air, victorious and on guard for any other interlopers. So goes an average day for Michigan’s fastest animal.

Peregrine falcons are the least common of the three types of falcons that breed in Michigan. Like the other falcons, the merlin and the American kestrel, peregrines have long, pointed wings and a facial “mask” or “mustache” that distinguishes them from the other birds of prey found in the state. These long, pointed wings also make peregrines expert aerial acrobats and are key to their ability to hunt their primary prey – other birds. A typical hunt starts from a high place, either a perch or circling high in the air, until the falcon spots its prey. Once the prey is spotted, the peregrine tucks its wings against its body and drops in a dive that can reach speeds over 200 miles per hour! Upon reaching its target, the peregrine opens its wings to stop its dive and slams into its prey.

While peregrines are most well-known today as urban dwellers, this was not always the case. Historically, peregrines were only found nesting on cliffs and bluffs in Michigan. The birds would seek out high ledges and crevices to use for their nests, where their chicks would be safe from predators, and from which they could survey their territory to search for prey and trespassing birds of prey. Unlike many birds, peregrine falcons don’t build a nest to lay their eggs; they create a scrape, which is just a small bowl-like depression in the rocks and soil of their nesting ledge. Today, there are very few peregrines nesting on these natural nest locations. The story behind this shift started more than 70 years ago.

DDT, a pesticide used for urban, agricultural and residential insect control, was the main culprit in the loss of peregrine falcons across the entire eastern United States. While the pesticide was used on insects, other animals also ingested it, and the chemical was carried up through the food chain every time a contaminated animal was eaten. In peregrine falcons and many other birds of prey, DDT had serious biological effects; the shells of the eggs they laid became thinner, and the act of incubation would crush their eggs before they hatched. Because of this, peregrine falcons disappeared from the eastern United States by the mid-1960s.

Efforts to bring peregrines back began in the early 1970s with the banning of DDT across the country. In addition, a dedicated group of wildlife managers, researchers and falconers came together to capture some of the few falcons remaining in the wild and gather peregrines that had been used in falconry as the foundation for a return of falcons to the landscape. These birds were carefully bred in captivity, and the resulting chicks then were taken to areas with potential breeding habitat and kept in “hack” boxes until they were ready to fly and hunt for themselves. The hack boxes allowed the chicks to observe their environment while being protected, and they were given a regular supply of food with minimal human interaction.

This program released chicks at natural sites on Isle Royale and along the shoreline at Pictured Rocks starting in 1987. Biologists also took a gamble on bringing chicks to manmade “cliffs” found in Michigan’s cities, beginning with the state’s first released chicks in Grand Rapids in 1986. Additional chicks were released at other Upper Peninsula hack sites and at a hack site in Detroit in later years. This successful hacking program ended in 1992.

Today, peregrines are successfully nesting in urban centers of southern Michigan, on the most iconic bridges across the state and along the Upper Peninsula’s rocky shoreline. In 2015, biologists recorded 33 active peregrine nests that produced 73 wild chicks! The Department of Natural Resources continues to work to study, conserve and support Michigan’s peregrine falcons and celebrate their success story.

This year marks the centennial of the Convention between the United States and Great Britain (for Canada) for the Protection of Migratory Birds (also called the Migratory Bird Treaty), signed on Aug. 16, 1916. Three other treaties were signed shortly thereafter with Japan, Russia and Mexico. The Migratory Bird Treaty, the three other treaties signed later, and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act form the cornerstones of efforts to conserve birds that migrate across international borders.

The 2016 Migratory Bird Treaty Centennial celebration will include monthly featured bird stories to our DNR Wildlife Viewing email subscribers, celebration events including a weekend of bird-based programming at state parks and visitor centers June 24-26, an education program for schools and conservation groups, and more.

To learn more about the Migratory Bird Treaty Centennial, visit U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service - Migratory Bird Program | Conserving America's Birds

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