Time for Nature

Helping an endangered species take flight

November 1, 2004

Fundy national Park of Canada

Juvenile Peregrine Falcon newly released at Fundy National Park of Canada
© Parks Canada

Twenty years of work and monitoring by Parks Canada and the Canadian Wildlife Service have helped bring back the peregrine falcon - a species once gone from the Bay of Fundy. More than half a century after the peregrine falcon disappeared from the area around Fundy National Park of Canada , a new population of these birds has been successfully reintroduced.

Extirpated ( Extirpated )

The last known peregrine falcon nest in the area around Fundy National Park was seen in the late 1940s. In the greater bay area, the last nest was documented in Nova Scotia in 1955. Because each nesting pair requires a large territory, the peregrine falcon was never a species that boasted high numbers. Though there are many reasons for its disappearance, perhaps the biggest threat was the use of the pesticide DDT. This chemical contributed to thinner eggshells that could not support new chicks. Because fewer young chicks survived, nesting pairs could not replace themselves and the species died out.

35 day old peregrine chick raised in captivity at Fundy National Park of Canada
© Parks Canada / Micheal Burzinski

Once DDT was banned, the idea of reintroducing the peregrine falcon to the Fundy area could be considered. Starting in 1982, a cooperative effort to bring the powerful predator back home was under way.

From cages to cliffs

Between 1982 and 1988, 178 peregrine falcons were reintroduced to the Bay of Fundy area, with Fundy National Park as one of the major partners. Working in the larger ecosystem was essential, because the birds need such a large territory. “The park here is relatively small; it would only hold one nesting pair,” says park warden George Sinclair. “By doing the whole region, the reintroduction can be sustainable.”

Staff and volunteer are keeping an eye on the peregrine falcons released at Point Wolfe in Fundy National Park of Canada.
© Parks Canada / Micheal Burzinski

The birds arrived in cages, giving them a chance to gradually get used to their new surroundings. Eventually they were released to nest on their own, choosing the steep cliff faces that suited them best.

A sustainable comeback

While the reintroduction program has proved effective, it is important to monitor the birds regularly to ensure they are continuing to thrive. Park staff help carry out annual checks on the well-established nests, each of which now appears to be producing enough young to maintain the population. Blood samples and eggshell tests show that the harmful chemicals that once wiped out the local population seem not to be a concern. Perhaps the best sign of the program’s success, however, is that the peregrine falcon was downgraded from endangered to threatened status in 2000.

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