C-22 



Barrier beaches along islands of Delmarva Peninsula where falcons 

 also occur include: Fisherman, Myrtle, Smith, Shipshoal, Hog, Revel, 

 Cobb, Parramore, and Wreck Islands. 



Occasional sporadic sightings are seen around Chesapeake Bay region; 

 more often spring migrants may be seen on west side of Chesapeake 

 Bay and Delmarva oceanside. Birds usually stay 1 to 5 days en route. 

 10% or less of the adults migrate along the Atlantic Coast beaches 

 with the immatures. Usually the immatures are in a ratio of 5 or 

 more to every one adult (Shor, 1970, b) . 



Status : Classified as endangered on the U. S. Dept. of Interior's 

 official list. No appreciable recent decline in general abundance 

 of migrants along Atlantic Coast (Ruos, 1972; Ward & Berry, 1972; 

 92nd Congress) . In addition, the age ratios of immatures to adults 

 in 1970-71 seemed similar to those recorded since 1938 (Ward & Berry, 

 1972; Ruos, 1970). Nevertheless, there is a strong implication that 

 a substantial population decline took place after 1947 (Nye, 1969; 

 Ward & Berry, 1972). Appel (1972) reports fewer sightings of immatures 

 at Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge in 1972. 



Reasons for Decline : 



1. Shooting of birds. 



2. Destruction of nests. 



3. Stealing of eggs, young, and adults, and trapping by 

 falconers and collectors. 



4. Breeding failure resulting from cumulative effects of 

 pesticides and other environmental contaminants, affecting the 

 reproductive and egg shell mechanisms. The problem resulting from 

 cumulative effects of pesticides and other environmental contaminants 

 is very well presented by Ward & Berry, 1972, p. 484-485. In addition, 

 there is an occasional direct poisoning from pesticides. There is 

 reason to believe that, based on experience with the American 

 Peregrine Falcon, this subspecies will go into the same pattern of 

 decline even though many migrants seem to come from Greenland where 

 there is a low contamination by pesticides at present. 



5. Periodic short-term adverse effects of weather on repro- 

 duction, for example, summer of 1972 (Ruos, 1970). 



