NorthernAplomadoFalcon_Grassland_Jenny_Peter_SheridanWY_1July2022_Reel4118.mp3

Peter Jenny [00:00:00] The aplomado falcon: it's a grassland species. And, you know, it's big challenge is habitat.

Peter Jenny [00:00:08] It was a species that at one time was pretty common in South Texas and New Mexico. And we know that because of egg collections. You know, egg collecting was a big deal at the turn of the century. And, and there were a lot of aplomado falcon eggs collected in south Texas and in New Mexico. So, we know historically that the bird was fairly common in those areas.

Peter Jenny [00:00:31] Well, they're, they're no longer common.

Peter Jenny [00:00:34] And the most compelling rationale is that those grasslands have grown up into brush country. And the problem with brush is it also supports great horned owls. And when great horned owl density gets above a certain point, aplomado falcons can no longer coexist with great horned owls, because the great horned owls go way out of their way to kill aplomado falcons. There's this sort of understanding that this is a potential competitor.

Peter Jenny [00:01:04] So, we had to find places where we'd release aplomado falcons that still had remnants of the Wild Horse Prairie, for instance. And that was right along the coast, or even islands off the coast, like Matagorda Island or San Jose Island, just because they didn't, they didn't have the brush encroachment farther inland that former grasslands now have.

Peter Jenny [00:01:29] For instance, the first place we released aplomado falcons, once we had birds available, was on the King Ranch in an area where they were last observed. And boy, that was a real learning experience. The scissor-tailed flycatchers were all over the aplomado falcons, not letting them get back to the tower for food. And then the great horned owls picked them off in the brush.

Peter Jenny [00:01:55] So, we learned very quickly that former habitat was not necessarily the contemporary habitat for aplomado falcons.

Peter Jenny [00:02:02] So, we kind of had to rethink things.

Peter Jenny [00:02:05] And so, we went to more non-traditional habitats in more open country in the same geographical region. But we had to pick areas as far away from brush as possible. You know, the Wild Horse Desert, that coastal grasslands, people had stand up in stirrups and wave their hat, you know, to see the next person. It was that open, very high grass - perfect aplomado falcon habitat, and almost endless. I mean, it went all the way, all the way along the coast.

Peter Jenny [00:02:40] But they started controlling burns and you know, mesquite started growing up with the cattle drives. And then that open, open grassland started shrinking.

Peter Jenny [00:02:51] And where it still occurs, there's still, we have, well, it varies between 20 and, and 40 pairs of aplomado falcons in any given year nesting in that area. And it's really hemmed in by brush.

Peter Jenny [00:03:05] I mean, it's what? If there's more habitat, then they do well, you know; if there's less habitat, they do less well. So it really, you know, it's a function of land use changes and habitat, like a lot of places. I mean, nothing, nothing new there, with that scenario.