Resource Use of Arctic Peregrine Falcons along the Colville River, Alaska (RWO 90 Annual Report, 2012)

Abstract

To improve knowledge about the ecology, life history, and behavior of arctic peregrine falcons (Falco peregrinus tundrius) on the Colville River Special Area (CRSA), we propose to (1) summarize and evaluate existing CRSA peregrine nesting data to assess trends in territory occupancy and abundance, and assist in summary and evaluation of nesting habitat use and related productivity, (2) implement additional data collection efforts focused on assessing factors related to the probability a territory is occupied, and (3) identify disturbance thresholds for arctic peregrine falcons from different types of human activity. In 2011, we assisted in 2 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service/Bureau of Land Management surveys (1 during nesting and 1 during the fledgling period) of peregrine falcons on the Colville River that documented 56 pairs and 3 singles occupying 59 sites. During 2012, the Ph.D. student originally hired to lead this project left the University of Minnesota. Following that departure, we recruited a postdoctoral research associate (JEB) to take over as the lead in addressing research objective 1, beginning in September 2012. In addition, Ted Swem (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) spent the 2011‐2012 academic year at the Minnesota Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit at the University of Minnesota, and updated and formatted the long‐term arctic peregrine falcon database. Based on that historical database, we have acquired data sources related to characteristics of nest locations along the Colville River. We are currently developing models relating habitat, topography, climate, prey availability, competition, and site quality covariates to occupancy and abundance of breeding peregrines. We anticipate using the results of those models to help identify what factors have the most influence on peregrines nesting along the Colville River, and to help identify critical information needs.