Alaska Peregrine Falcon Numbers Drop Again

In 1973, only 12 pairs of peregrine falcons perched at nest sites over a 180-mile stretch of the upper Yukon river in Alaska. The number rose to more than 60 in 2012.

The birds’ subsequent rebound from the effects of a pesticide was one of the most dramatic wildlife recovery stories of all time. Peregrine falcons made it off the endangered species list in 1999, reports Anchorage Daily News.

This summer, Peregrine falcon numbers are nosediving there as they did the past few years. Researchers believes that a highly pathogenic avian influenza, which emerged in waterfowl, seabirds and shorebirds in 2019, is now killing peregrine falcons.

Biologists have found 50 dead peregrines in the Lower 48 that have tested positive for bird flu. None have been found in Alaska, probably due to the difficulty of finding a small carcass in the wild areas they inhabit.

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