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Current Status:

Wetland and riparian habitat loss is one of the primary threats to this species, along with the use of organochlorine pesticides in Mexico and South America (the peregrine's wintering grounds). Shooting, egg collecting, and interference with nesting likewise have been documented.

Achievements:

Extirpated from Montana by 1982, peregrines were reintroduced from captive-bred stock. Seventy-three peregrines have been released in Montana since 1981, with approximately 81 percent reaching independence. Montana now has 10 wild breeding pairs. Equally encouraging are recent sightings of single adults at cliffs where they have not been detected in years. The Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, and Federal Highway Administration, consulting on Federal projects under section 7, have worked out all conflicts informally with only slight modifications to projects. Montana also has an active interagency peregrine falcon working group composed of representatives from State and Federal agencies, universities, conservation groups, and private industry.

Current Recovery Needs:

Continuing releases of captive-bred peregrines, as well as monitoring of contaminants and peregrine populations, are needed.

Partnerships

Bureau of Land Management, Forest Service, and National Park Service: These Federal agencies help monitor wild nest sites, inventory habitat, and provide funding for the reintroduction program.

Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks: The Department helps coordinate all phases of falcon recovery, provides technical assistance at reintroduction sites, and assists with monitoring population status.

Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes: The tribes are funding a reintroduction site and are assisting with surveys and inventories.

The Peregrine Fund: The Peregrine Fund has provided offspring of captive falcons for release in the wild, as well as coordination and expertise at release sites, assistance with surveys and monitoring, and advice on overall recovery strategies.

Recovery Plan Status:

Original plan approved 8/3/77; revised 12/14/84.