1997. Dean P. Keddy-Hector, Peter Pyle, and Michael A. Patten Version: 1.0 — Published March 4, 2020 Text last updated May 4, 2017 Falcons and Caracaras(Order: Falconiformes, Family:Falconidae). Aplomado Falcon habitat almost always contains an open grassland component with either scattered islands of shrubs or trees or wood-land and forest borders. ... react to a white-tailed hawk with almost as much alarm as they do when seeing such dedicated predators of birds as the aplomado falcon. Aplomado Falcon Life Cycle. These beautiful birds are most often seen in pairs and will work together to find prey and flush it. 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. Most of the ranches that remain in cattle production are experiencing habitat degradation, especially from shrub encroachment. Aplomado falcons (Falco femoralis) inhabit desert grasslands and savannas of Latin America, and formerly inhabited desert grasslands and coastal prairies of … Recently a few have reappeared in New Mexico and western Texas, and there has been a major attempt to … A major land acquisition by The Nature Conservancy represents the final piece of the puzzle in the restoration of the sprawling Bahia Grande wetland between Brownsville and … Aplomados are fast fliers and in South Texas can typically be seen on the coastal prairie and savannah habitat -- flat open areas with low growing vegetation containing yuccas or mesquite trees. Once widespread throughout the American Southwest, two remaining pairs of aplomado falcons were known to exist in the 1940s and 50s – one pair near Brownsville, Texas, in 1946 and a pair in Deming, New Mexico, in 1952. These areas, within the species’ former range, were chosen based on apparent habitat suitability and similarity to occupied habitat in nearby Chihuahua. This study used habitat information from areas used by APFAs in northern Chihuahua, Mexico to predict habitat in the other areas. The already fragile population suffered from all of the classic raptor conservation issues: loss of habitat, persecution, DDT, lead poisoning, and electrocution. Suitable, even good, aplomado falcon habitat occurs within 5 km of BMTA. U.S. The northern population of Aplomado Falcons in the U.S. and northern Mexico is listed as Endangered. Potential Aplomado Falcon Habitat in Mexico. The refuge’s location and habitat make it a haven for butterflies and moths -- and those who enjoy seeing them! Because the Aplomado is such a specialised flying falcon, much of the prey it catches are birds. Texte de Nicole Bouglouan. In the United States, Aplomado Falcons are residents of desert and coastal grasslands with scattered yuccas and mesquites. Although the Aplomado is a medium-sized falcon, it requires a relatively large area to nest and raise young. Additional aplomado acreage is being leased by the NM State Land Office. Each species account is written by leading ornithologists and provides detailed information on bird distribution, migration, habitat, diet, sounds, behavior, breeding, current population status, and conservation. [Aplomado Falcon calls] [Its very presence in South Texas is a remarkable story of restoration.] Reproduction, prey, and habitat of the Aplomado Falcon in desert grasslands of Chihuahua, Mexico. Aplomados are fast fliers and in South Texas can typically be seen on the coastal prairie and savannah habitat -- flat open areas with low growing vegetation containing yuccas or mesquite trees. Aplomado Falcon – Diet. Falcons This trim, elegant falcon once nested in desert grassland of the southwest, but it has been very rare north of the Mexican border since the 1920s or before. To find them, scan open country and fence lines for a fast-flying raptor that looks like a larger version of an American Kestrel with a longer tail and longer wings. Aplomado Falcon habitat were identified in the counties of Grant, Hidalgo, Luna, and Dofia Ana in southwestern and south-cen- tral New Mexico. These areas, within the species' former range, were chosen based on apparent habitat suitability and similarity to occupied habitat in nearby Chihuahua. (2005) created a habitat model for the northern aplomado falcon in southern New Mexico, west Texas, and northern Chihuahua, Mexico. Aplomado Falcon chicks that were produced at our World Center for Birds of Prey in Idaho were transported to Texas and New Mexico for release. Photo: Chris Eberly, DoD PIF Historic range of Aplomado Falcon in NM and west TX (NatureServe, 2003) and Department of Defense lands. jmingram1@cox.net. Breeding biology of the Aplomado Falcon in desert grasslands of Chihuahua, Mexico. Currently, the Aplomado falcon is considered endangered in the United States. Six habitat types were identified in aerial photographs (scale 1:35,000): shrubland, tobosa swale, barren slope, gramma grassland, savanna, and yucca grassland. Overall the Aplomado Falcon is just a really cool bird, and always a highlight of my trips to the valley. It ranges from northern Mexico and Trinidad locally to southern South America, but has been extirpated from many places in its range, including all of northern and central Mexico except for a small area of Chihuahua. In fact about 90 percent are small birds. 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