![]() Poisons used in prairie dog eradication efforts across New Mexico and Arizona also impacted falcons' prey availability, and indirectly poisoned these raptors. Pesticide use (including the once-widespread use of DDT) also decimated Aplomado Falcon populations by causing eggshell thinning and failed nesting attempts. Over the years, many areas left to regenerate came back as mesquite brushland, rather than yucca-studded grassland favored by this bird. By 1900, 80 percent of coastal prairie in Texas had been converted to farms and ranches, with similar losses of native habitat in southern New Mexico and Arizona. ![]() However, these favored habitats were lost to encroaching human settlement. The Aplomado Falcon once ranged throughout the open grasslands and coastal savannas of southern Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. The Aplomado's northern subspecies once ranged throughout Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, but was largely extirpated from those states and Northern Mexico by the 1950s. In size, this species is just a bit smaller than the Peregrine Falcon. Bold face markings include the dark "mustache" common to most species in the falcon family, set off by a contrasting dark eye stripe and white eyebrow.Īdult Aplomados are slender, with long legs, wings, and tail, proportioned somewhat like an accipiter such as the Cooper's Hawk. Below, a black belly band separates the Aplomado Falcon's light-colored, sometimes streaky upper breast from its rufous belly. Its name "aplomado” is Spanish for “gray” or “lead-colored,” and refers to the blue-gray plumage of this bird's back. This species’ recovery plan was first drafted in 1990. We'll continue meeting with partners to share the latest knowledge and refine our plans for the future.The handsome Aplomado Falcon is as attractive as its smaller relative the American Kestrel, but is much harder to find, at least in the U.S. So far we have enrolled 2.25 million acres within the falcon's historical range, with a fraction currently suitable for Aplomado Falcons. Fortunately, we’ve spent decades stitching together a patchwork of private lands, public parks, and wildlife refuges. Roughly a third of the population and its habitat still lacks formal protection, and rapid development in the Lower Rio Grande Valley could pose a threat. Although the Aplomado is a medium-sized falcon, it requires a relatively large area to nest and raise young. How will we continue to grow the population? Expanding habitat is key. Despite damage from Hurricane Harvey, the Aplomado Falcon is still on its way to reaching the de-listing goal of 60 pairs. Our advanced computer analysis, the “Aplo-model,” confirms that our approach is working: reproduction along the Texas Gulf coast is ample to sustain a growing population in suitable habitat. Pairs using them raise as many young as pairs in yucca nests, and twice as many as pairs nesting on brush or the ground! ![]() ![]() To offset a lack of yucca plants, we erected dozens of barred nesting platforms. Our priority is restoring areas with recently-abandoned Aplomado territories, or occupied territories where brush is beginning to encroach. We now advise agencies on grassland restoration and are seeking private landowners who can commit to the same actions. Brush removal is difficult and expensive, but the benefits for falcons and other species are significant. Overgrown brush is an enemy of healthy grasslands because it crowds out yucca, the falcons’ preferred nesting plants, and harbors predators like Great Horned Owls.
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