Texas - Northern Aplomado Falcon - Falco Femoralis Septentrionalis

	Northern Aplomado Falcon - Falco Femoralis Septentrionalis
STATUS: Endangered without critical habitat. DESCRIPTION: Adults characterized by rufous (rust) underparts, a gray back, a long and banded tail, and a distinctive black and white facial pattern. Aplomado falcons are smaller than peregrine falcons and larger than kestrels. HABITAT: Open terrain with scattered trees, relatively low ground cover, abundance of small to medium-sized birds, and a supply of suitable nesting platforms, particularly yucca and mesquite. Suitable habitat consists of inter-tree distances of 30m (avg.), tree densities of 19 trees/40 ha (avg.), tree height of 9 m (avg.), and 92% ground cover at 0.7m off the ground and 70% at 0.5m. DISTRIBUTION: Present: No nests have been verified in the U.S. since 1952, when a nest was reported near Deming, NM. Now known to nest only in the Mexican States of Veracruz, Chiapas, Campeche, and Tabasco. Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge and bordering lands are suitable habitat in TExas presently occupied by Aplomado falcons. An aplomado falcon was sighted and photographed near the White Sands Misssile Range, Dona Ana County NEw MExico in 1991. Also an unbanded Aplomado Falcon was sighted west of Marfa, Presidio. Historic: In the U.S.: Southeastern Arizona, southern New Mexico, and southern Texas. In Mexico: the states of Tamaulipas, Chiapas, Campeche, Tabasco, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Sinaloa, Jalisco, Guerrero, Veracruz, Yucatan, and San Luis Potosi. Also, the western coast of Guatemala. THREATS AND/OR REASONS FOR DECLINE: Habitat degradation due to brush encroachment, reproductive failure due to organochlorine pesticides, and catastrophic channelization of one permanent desert streams (important breeding grounds for avian prey). OTHER INFORMATION: The Aplomado Flacon diet consists primarily of birds, supplemented by insects, small snakes, lizards and rodents. They lay their eggs between the months of march and June. Twenty nestlings were fledged by the Peregrine Fund at Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge between 1986 and 1989. Aplomados are now seen occasionally on the refuge. An additional four nestlings were fledged by the Peregrine Fund on the King Ranch in Kleberg County, TExas in 1985. Surveys are being undertaken in Mexico. The Recovery Plan was approved in 1990. REFERENCES: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. August 1992. Threatened and Endangered Species of Texas. Endangered Species Office, Albuquerque, New Mexico

Northern Aplomado Falcon - Falco Femoralis Septentrionalis

STATUS: Endangered without critical habitat.

DESCRIPTION: Adults characterized by rufous (rust) underparts, a gray back, a long and banded tail, and a distinctive black and white facial pattern. Aplomado falcons are smaller than peregrine falcons and larger than kestrels.

HABITAT: Open terrain with scattered trees, relatively low ground cover, abundance of small to medium-sized birds, and a supply of suitable nesting platforms, particularly yucca and mesquite. Suitable habitat consists of inter-tree distances of 30m (avg.), tree densities of 19 trees/40 ha (avg.), tree height of 9 m (avg.), and 92% ground cover at 0.7m off the ground and 70% at 0.5m.

DISTRIBUTION:

Present: No nests have been verified in the U.S. since 1952, when a nest was reported near Deming, NM. Now known to nest only in the Mexican States of Veracruz, Chiapas, Campeche, and Tabasco. Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge and bordering lands are suitable habitat in TExas presently occupied by Aplomado falcons. An aplomado falcon was sighted and photographed near the White Sands Misssile Range, Dona Ana County NEw MExico in 1991. Also an unbanded Aplomado Falcon was sighted west of Marfa, Presidio.
Historic: In the U.S.: Southeastern Arizona, southern New Mexico, and southern Texas. In Mexico: the states of Tamaulipas, Chiapas, Campeche, Tabasco, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Sinaloa, Jalisco, Guerrero, Veracruz, Yucatan, and San Luis Potosi. Also, the western coast of Guatemala.

THREATS AND/OR REASONS FOR DECLINE: Habitat degradation due to brush encroachment, reproductive failure due to organochlorine pesticides, and catastrophic channelization of one permanent desert streams (important breeding grounds for avian prey). OTHER INFORMATION: The Aplomado Flacon diet consists primarily of birds, supplemented by insects, small snakes, lizards and rodents. They lay their eggs between the months of march and June. Twenty nestlings were fledged by the Peregrine Fund at Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge between 1986 and 1989. Aplomados are now seen occasionally on the refuge. An additional four nestlings were fledged by the Peregrine Fund on the King Ranch in Kleberg County, TExas in 1985. Surveys are being undertaken in Mexico. The Recovery Plan was approved in 1990.

REFERENCES:
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. August 1992. Threatened and Endangered Species of Texas. Endangered Species Office, Albuquerque, New Mexico