(by Chris Martin)

Recently, NH Audubon staff and volunteers wrapped up the 2024 NH Peregrine Falcon breeding season with the following results:

• 28 territorial pairs, a new state-record high
• 23 incubating pairs, down one from 2022’s record high
• 21 successful pairs, up 16% over 2023’s record high

This season also saw a record-high 50 young falcons fledge, a conservation milestone that comes nearly 50 years after wildlife managers first started releasing captive-raised Peregrine chicks at Owls Head and several other northern New England cliffs beginning in the mid-1970s.

We reached this mark, 50 falcon fledglings, for the first time even though just one NH nest statewide produced 4 young in 2024. Yet many other sites were successful, including Manchester’s Brady Sullivan Tower, which was successful for the 24th consecutive year. This urban territory with its weatherproof nest box has produced a total of 76 fledglings since 2001. An adjacent territory on the Merrimack River under the 293/101 Bridge fledged 2 young in 2024. A quarry-nesting pair in Westmoreland fledged 3 young, as did a pair at Dixville, and another pair in the Second College Grant, where 3 young were confirmed by audio recording posted to eBird. Finally, a late July check of transmission poles by the Bellows Falls Dam on the Connecticut River confirmed 2 fledglings from the Fall Mountain territory, bringing our total to 50 young!

This marks the 44th breeding season in the post-DDT recovery era for NH’s Peregrines, which even today remain on NH’s state-threatened list. Their population growth in the Granite State continues to take place very gradually. NH’s falcons are a key piece in a widely distributed regional breeding population that includes both cliff-nesting and urban-nesting pairs. NH Audubon continues to spearhead management activities designed to promote successful nesting outcomes, including by posting seasonal climbing route closures, maintaining nest boxes and trays, investigating nest failures, reviewing proposals with the potential to disrupt falcon nesting, and offering advice to landowners who have Peregrines on their land. NH Peregrine Falcon management is supported in part by a federal State Wildlife Grant to NH Fish and Game’s Nongame Wildlife Program. Monitoring and management is also supported by a grant from the Knopf Family Foundation, and by generous donations from NH Audubon members and others. A big “Thank You!” to all who assist in our efforts, including our federal and state partners, our corporate and foundation partners, private landowners, volunteer falcon observers, and many rock climbers who help us out.