Recovery of a cliff-nesting Peregrine Falcon, Falco peregrinus, population in northern New York and New England, 1984-1996

Following extirpation by DDT in the 1960s, a cliff-nesting population of Peregrine Falcons was reestablished in northern New York and New England.In 1984-1996, occupied territories grew at an annual rate of 16% with average productivity of 1.29 fledglings/territorial pair and nest success of 73%.Geographical variability in reproductive success was prevalent within the region.Lower reproductive performance in the White Mountain subpopulation in particular, was not related to density dependent or weather factors, but was significantly correlated to a lower percentage of doves (Rock + Mourning) in the diet.In addition to providing a large amount of biomass per unit catch effort, low trophic-level granivorous doves accumulate lower contaminant levels than insectivorous prey species.Because doves are primarily associated with agricultural habitats, geographic variability in reproductive performance within this region may ultimately be related to habitat differences.