Helping the Northern Aplomado Falcon

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Mr. Maddox,

As you requested, I have gathered information in regards to the selective breeding of the Northern Aplomado Falcon, or Falco femoralis septentrionalis. Due to the lack of information about this species, it was difficult to obtain the in-depth information in order to create the best possible solution. However, I am submitting the following details based on the information I was able to obtain.

Species classification:

• Kingdom - Animalia
• Phylum - Craniata
• Class - Aves
• Order - Falconiformes
• Family - Falconidae
• Genus - Falco
• Species - F. femoralis septentrionalis

The Northern Aplomado Falcon can be found in South Texas and the Trans-Pecos region where the environment can range from open-rangelands, semiarid grasslands with scattered shrubs and trees, desert grasslands with scattered yucca and mesquite or the woodlands along desert streams. Three examples of their adaptations are:

1. They are extremely skilled hunters due to several factors including their incredible speed either in the air or on the ground and by hunting in pairs. They are able to catch their prey in the air or chase them down on foot if their prey is attempting to hide in nearby shrubs. They also have a reputation for being aggressive fighters and will start fights amongst themselves for fun.
   
2. Instead of building their own nest, they will use abandoned stick nests from other bird species. In fact, due to problems with other animals invading their nest, some falcons have been seen living in abandoned raven nests atop electrical towers.
   
3. There is a possibility they are monogamous, however it is shown that both parents will share the responsibility of tending to their eggs for the 32 day incubation period. A normal clutch size will usually have 2-3 eggs, but there have been complications due to the use of the pesticide, DDT.
   

I have decided that our target for selective breeding should be based on their clutch size. The use of DDT in the past continues to cause thinning of the egg shells and leads to reproductive failure. Breeding the Aplomado Falcon in captivity is a difficult and labor intensive task, however, if we attempted to breed them in the absence of any pesticide factors, it could increase the clutch survival and ultimately the species as a whole.

The falcon's habitat is small but due to the specific region, we are able to understand the conditions that must be mimicked in order for the hatchlings success. For instance, what is the normal nesting time frame and what are the climate conditions for that time? What are the requirements for the incubation period? Should we artificially inseminate the females? What needs to be applied in order for the hatchlings to eventually be released into the wild? Should they be raised in a lab or in a secluded area, such as a zoo? If we are able to answer these questions, we could raise several generations of hatchlings in order to strengthen their reproductive rates before releasing them into the wild.

While contemplating the specifics of this experiment, I realized that we may be enhancing other traits that could lead to a new, enhanced species over the years. To this day, it is not known what caused the Northern Apolomado Falcon to disappear in the 1950's and this has lead to the lack of information about the species. This experiment could allow researchers to start from the beginning and gather information to be incorporated in the wild. If our birds were able to develop new traits in order to increase reproduction and survival and continue to breed with only that select group, that trait would continue to be passed down over the generations and would ultimately increase their survival fitness as a species.

The main benefit to this experiment is the preservation of an endangered species, however there are also external factors that continue to occur, including hunting. These falcons are hunted and eventually stuffed for home decoration or their feathers and talons are used for commercial use. In the end, I really wonder if hunting them for decoration or just sport is really worth losing them in the end. Once they are gone, they cannot come back and I believe we should pursue the opportunity of giving them a chance to survive.


Regan Dowdy


References:

Fort Worth Zoo
http://whozoo.org/Intro2001/andreppl/ASE_aplomadofalcon.html

NatureServe Explorer
http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/NatureServe?sourceTemplate=tabular_report.wmt&loadTemplate=species_RptComprehensive.wmt&selectedReport=RptComprehensive.wmt&summaryView=tabular_report.wmt&elKey=106068&paging=home&save=true&startIndex=1&nextStartIndex=1&reset=false&offPageSelectedElKey=106068&offPageSelectedElType=species&offPageYesNo=true&post_processes=&radiobutton=radiobutton&selectedIndexes=106068

US Forest Service
http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/wui/ba/17.html

Soaring with Predators

Welcome to Birds of Prey, an exciting look in to the world of the fierce predators that roam the skies and battle against all odds to survive. I am Regan Dowdy and I am pleased to shed light on the fascinating details surrounding the magnificent Northern Aplomado Falcon, or Falco femoralis septentrionalis.

[Image source: http://www.greglasley.net/aplomado.html]

This amazing aerial hunter is a member of the vast Animalia kingdom and Eukarya domain. Known for their striking color, regal posture and graceful flight, these raptorial birds were once common in the coastal and interior grasslands of the Southwest, but are now found only in South Texas and the Trans-Pecos region. This region provides open landscapes with scattered trees, yuccas and shrubs, which are ideal hunting grounds for the falcons.

[Image source: http://www.hcn.org/allimages/2006/nov13/graphics/061113-022.jpg]

The Aplomado Falcons are aggressive predators that hunt in pairs to locate their prey while flying. They utilize their swift speed to give long chases or swoop down to steal food from other predators. If by some chance their prey escapes into dense grasses or shrubs, the falcon will continue the pursuit on foot. Aplomado Falcons are known to primarily feed on other birds, ranging from cuckoos, doves, blackbirds, woodpeckers and thrushes in addition to insects. Other food sources include lizards, frogs, bats and small rodents.

Strangely, after the 1930's, the Aplomado Falcons disappeard from the U.S. for reasons that are still unknown to this day. It wasn't until February 25, 1986 that they were added to the endagered species list due to their grassland habitats being changed by farming, overgrazing by domestic livestock and smoke from prescribed fires. Other factors even list auditory and visual disturbance from machinery and personnel, including high mortalities from power line electrocutions.

Despite all of these factors, the greatest impact to the Aplomado Falcons is due to the use of pesticides, specifically DDT and DDE. These pesticides have been linked to thousands of deaths in several bird species and even though they are banned in the U.S., the heavy concentrations of DDT and DDE continue to remain in the falcons potential prey species. New threats to the Aplomado Falcons consist of heavy loads of PBC's, heavy metals and organochlorine pesticides.

In recent years, there has been several projects to reintroduce the Aplomado Falcon into their historic habitat ranges. This has lead to an increase in their population and gives hope for their survival but the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department states that their recovery will depend on the interest and direct involvement of private land owners, since the falcon's former habitat is now privately owned.

I hope you have enjoyed taking the time to learn about these fascinating animals as much as I have, and I hope that you will return to in the future to learn more.

References

U.S. Department of Defense and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Northern Aplomado Falcon. July 2007. http://www.fws.gov/Endangered/pdfs/DoD/aplomado_falcon_fact_sheet.pdf. Downloaded June 9, 2008.

Environmental Defense. Northern Aplomado Falcon. http://www.edf.org/documents/3730_Species_aplomado.pdf. Downloaded on June 9, 2008.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Northern Aplomado Falcon. April, 17, 2007. http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/wild/species/aplomfal/ Downloaded June 9, 2008.