Last updated: April 28, 2022
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Early 2022 Raptor Breeding Season Stars at Pinnacles Include Falcons and Long-eared Owls
NPS / Gavin Emmons
April 2022 - Prairie and peregrine falcons have returned to nesting territories in Pinnacles National Park for the 2022 breeding season! Raptor advisories are in effect to help protect these magnificent birds from disturbance, with advisory signs posted at Balconies, Hawkins Peak, and near Little Pinnacles / Yaks Wall.
So far, falcon monitoring staff and volunteers have confirmed prairie and peregrine falcons occupying nine and four territories respectively. As of late April, all of these pairs have laid eggs and/or are now raising nestlings! This is the same as where things stood at this point in last year’s super successful breeding season.
The monitoring team has also confirmed five other raptor species nesting at the park this season. Among them are two long-eared owl pairs. Long-eared owls are a California Species of Special Concern, with habitat loss or degradation being among the primary threats to populations in the state. The owls nest along riparian (stream-adjacent) corridors in stick constructs used in previous years by Cooper's and sharp-shinned hawks. Just as monitoring falcon nesting helps Pinnacles staff track the health of those species' cliff habitats, verifying long-eared owl breeding helps staff track riparian habitat health.
As the breeding season continues, further monitoring will tell us how many chicks hatch and fledge from each of the nests. Stay tuned!
For more information
- Pinnacles Raptor Advisories and Raptors webpages
- San Francisco Bay Area Network Falcon Monitoring webpage
- Pacific Coast Science & Learning Center Prairie & Peregrine Falcons webpage
- Contact Wildlife Biologist Gavin Emmons
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