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<br />',- <br /> <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />OJ:139 <br /> <br />River bottom wetlands along the Gunnison and Uncompahgre <br />Rivars provide bald eagle habitat in winter months, but <br />neither has been cited as an important wintering area. <br />Nesting bas not been recorded in the area. Feeding activity <br />occurs primarily along the rivers and food sources include <br />1 <br />waterfowl, fish, rabbits, and carrion. <br /> <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />Suitable nesting sites for the peregrine falcon do not exist <br />in tbe study area, although isolated pairs have been noted. <br />Historically, nesting has been reported east and south of <br />the study area. It is possible, therefore, that the falcon <br />has historically used the Uncompahgre Valley for hunting and <br />it is probable that occasional birds use the valley during <br />migration. No falcons were observed during a wildlife inven- <br />1 <br />tory conducted for Lower Gunnison Basin Unit studies. <br /> <br />Historically, whooping cranes occurred in eastern Colorado <br /> <br />as occasional migrants. However, in recent years, a new <br /> <br /> <br />population has been established by use of greater Sandhill <br /> <br /> <br />cranes as foster parents for whooping crane chicks. These <br /> <br /> <br />birds migrate from Idaho to New Mexico and their migration <br /> <br /> <br />path includes Montrose and Delta Counties. The whooping <br /> <br /> <br />crane has been observed in recent years at several locations <br /> <br /> <br />in the Uncompahgre and Gunnison River drainages but none of <br /> <br />the study area has been identified as essential to the <br />1 <br />species. <br /> <br />E-23 <br />