Peregrine falcon no longer a threatened species after four decades
EDMONTON — For the first time in four decades, a bird known for its speed could be removed from the list of threatened species in most of Canada.
The peregrine falcon, which can fly at speeds up to 320 kilometres per hour, was listed as endangered in 1978. At the time, there was only one active nest east of the Rocky Mountains and south of the 60th parallel, and the northern population was also struggling.
Its numbers have increased steadily to 600 birds in southern Canada and 1,500 in northern Canada after a ban on DDT, a toxic pesticide. There has also been a captive breeding program in the southern population that has helped in the bird’s recovery.
The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada is now recommending to the federal government that the peregrine be delisted as a threatened species.