Since the early 1980s, NH Audubon staff and dedicated volunteers have worked tirelessly to restore the Peregrine Falcon population in New Hampshire. NH Audubon became involved as federal and state agencies along with The Peregrine Fund were concluding a decade-long effort to release captive-bred falcon chicks and the monitoring of wild-breeding pairs was just starting up. From the first cliff-nesting pair in Franconia Notch in 1981 to nearly 30 breeding territories today that annually produce dozens of fledglings, NH Audubon has been there to support recovery efforts for more than 40 years!
We work with NH Fish & Game and managers of tall buildings and high bridges to install nesting boxes and trays that give Peregrines a safe place to nest. We work with rock climbing groups and state park and national forest staff to set up temporary recreational closures on climbing routes and scenic overlooks that improve falcon nesting success. We have banded nearly 400 Peregrine chicks in the state, and roughly 25% of those banded have been re-sighted, resulting in hard-to-obtain data on longevity and dispersal. We have been involved in a project that satellite-tracked five of NH’s breeding falcons on migration to their wintering grounds. We have collected dozens of non-viable falcon eggs that have contributed significantly to what is known about PDBEs and other toxins in the region’s Peregrine Falcon population.
The Peregrine Falcon was removed from the federal Threatened and Endangered Species List in 1999, and downlisted from Endangered to Threatened on the New Hampshire T&E List in September 2008. Volunteers can learn more about becoming involved in our ongoing monitoring and management efforts by contacting raptor specialist Chris Martin in the Conservation Department.
Project Leader: Chris Martin
Something Wild Podcast featuring Peregrine Falcons
(by Chris Martin) In 2023, NH Audubon staff and a dedicated team of Peregrine Falcon volunteer observers confirmed 27 territorial pairs, tying 2022’s record high in New Hampshire (see Figure
(by Chris Martin) Spring 2022 marked the 42nd year in the post-DDT recovery era for New Hampshire’s Peregrine Falcon population. Once federally endangered, and still listed as state-threatened, NH’s Peregrines
(by Chris Martin) The five Peregrine Falcons that hatched in downtown Manchester have fledged and are on the move! Here are a couple of recent photos from folks keeping an
(by Chris Martin, photos by Willa Coroka) On Friday May 20, I examined and banded FIVE Peregrine Falcon chicks at the Brady Sullivan Tower in Manchester. I had assistance from
(by Chris Martin) On January 19, 2022, Pocono Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center in Stroudsburg, PA admitted for care an underweight female Peregrine Falcon that was wearing coded leg bands
(by Chris Martin) The first shows what appears to be a 4 week old Red-tailed Hawk chick in the nest with an eight week old Bald Eagle chick (pictured above).
Photos, from the top: Peregrine Falcon, archive image; female Peregrine Falcon, Brady Sullivan Tower, Manchester, NH, March 2008, photo by Chris Martin.
