23 July 2024
The Heart for Conservation Biology (CCB) has been monitoring Virginia’s peregrine inhabitants yearly because the late Seventies. As a result of they monitor particular person adults, they know who breeds the place and after they go lacking. This 12 months the information was disturbing. Peregrine grownup turnover statewide greater than doubled in a single 12 months to a brand new charge of 40%. Forty p.c of the adults disappeared (died) and had been changed by a brand new hen.
The one excellent news is that the excessive charge is skewed by the extremely excessive turnover of 63.2% on the Jap Shore whereas the remainder of the state was 12.5%. The dangerous information is that the Jap Shore has the very best focus of breeding peregrines in Virginia.
The map under, from Virginia peregrine falcon monitoring and administration program: 12 months 2017 report on ResearchGate, exhibits peregrine territories in 2017. There are extra territories these days however the relative focus stays.
Recoveries of useless and dying peregrines point out the offender is avian flu, an issue skilled in different states as properly.
Why is avian flu taking a toll on the coast however not inland? Learn why on this weblog on the Heart for Conservation Biology.
p.s. I’ve not heard of this drawback occurring in Pennsylvania, maybe as a result of our turnover charge mirrors Virginia’s inland statistics.
In 2023, out of 35 breeding pairs in Virginia statewide, 26 had been on the coastal plain.
