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Peregrine Falcons: Local Cliff Dwellers
Researched and Written by Janine Weins
(Posted 8/30/06)

	The Fairlee Palisades, where the peregrine falcons like to nest, is next to Route 5, and in sight of the bridge between Fairlee and Orford.
	If you drive south on Route 5 from Bradford, you can see the Fairlee Palisades on the west side of the road. When the peregrine falcons who nest on the rocky cliffs, see a tasty bird go by they can fly off the cliffs at speeds of more than 200 miles per hour and catch the unsuspecting prey in midflight.

When peregrine falcons head out to catch a small flying bird for dinner they can reach speeds of more than 250 miles per hour. They only maintain their top speed for short periods of time, but during those times they are the fastest animal in the world.

The peregrine is one of six falcons found in the United States. Male and female falcons, who can live 15 years, remain paired for life. Each year during late winter and early spring they renew their bond with courtship activities that are marked by special flight patterns and by the male bringing the female food. Female peregrines lay eggs at two-to-three-day intervals, until their clutch has three to five eggs, four being the typical number. Female falcons share the duties of incubation with their mates until the eggs hatch after approximately 31 days.

Thirty years ago, many feared the peregrine falcon would become extinct because of the use of pesticides—in particular DDT. Pesticides collect in the birds' fat, causing the eggshells to be thin and the embryos to die. In 1970, the Peregrine Fund, a nonprofit organization with a mission to reintroduce the species into North America, was founded at Cornell University. That same year the last observation of a wild adult peregrine in Vermont was made on Mount Pisgah. In 1972, when there were fewer than 40 nest pairs in the United States, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed the peregrine falcon as an endangered species. On December 31, 1972, it became illegal to use the pesticide DDT in the United States.

In 1975, the Peregrine Fund led an effort to reintroduce peregrines into Vermont by placing young falcons that had been born in captivity in nesting boxes. Between 1982 and 1987, 93 young birds were released in Vermont. With the help of the Peregrine Fund and many volunteers, the peregrines have experienced one of the most dramatic recoveries of any endangered species. In 1999, they were formally removed from the Federal Endangered Species list. In April of 2005, Vermont became one of the first states to delist peregrines from the state's endangered species list. According to the National Wildlife Federation, there are now more than 1,400 nesting pairs in the United States.

Peregrines like to nest on ledges, although they prefer rocky cliffs, and they often build nests on bridges, the tops of buildings, and sometimes on window sills. One of their favorite places to nest are the rocky cliffs known as the Fairlee Palisades that overlook the Connecticut River just north of the town center of Fairlee, Vermont. To protect the Peregrine Falcons, the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department has closed the cliff top and nesting areas of the Fairlee Palisades to visitors but if you set up a telescope, or have a good pair of binoculars, you may be able to see a peregrine falcon diving off of the Fairlee Palisades. For those hoping to catch a glimpse of these fast magnificent birds, patience is required. Peregrines head off the cliffs when they are hungry or they spot a particularly tasty treat. Because they have exceptionally good eyesight, even at dusk and dawn, they might leave the cliff anytime from the first ray of light to the last light of day.