Laserfiche WebLink
.. <br />Appendix <br />The selection of eyrie sites by peregrines in Utah appears <br />to be associated with the availability of suitable nesting sites <br />adjacent to a marsh or stream where prey species are available in <br />adequate numbers. The utilization of aquatic prey species as food <br />for nestling peregrines in Utah undoP.btedly is a major factor in <br />the species's proclivity for nesting sites near water. <br />The Golden Eagle and Prairie Falcon are the two species most <br />likely to compete with the peregrine for food and nesting sites. <br />Direct competition between the peregrine and Golden Eagle for <br />food probably is minimal, since ma~alian prey species contribute <br />greatly to the eagle's diet, and no direct evidence of competition <br />between the two species for nesting sites has been observed in Utah. <br />The Prairie Falcon, on the other hand, is a probable competi- <br />tor, which is expected because both species belong to the same <br />genus, both are basically equivalent in ecological function, and <br />both are approximately equal in size and strength. Although the <br />habitat of the two species overlaps, habitat separations are pre- <br />sent. The Prairie Falcon, for example, may nest in the desert <br />many miles from water. In the zone of contact between the two spe- <br />cies, its selectivity in habitat and food encompasses and exceeds <br />that of the peregrine. The zone of contact between the two species <br />appears to be restricted only by the paucity of suitable nesting <br />habitat adjacent to an adequate supply of food for the peregrine. <br />We have no data regarding the food niches of the Prairie <br />Falcon in the zones of contact between the two species at river <br />sites in the desert. However, we would expect a greater overlap <br />in the avian prey of the food niches of the two species in these <br />areas due to the elimination of a great portion of aquatic birds <br />from the diet of the peregrine (see Gabrielson and Jewett, 1940). <br />Our data, however, suggest that the extensive utilization of ro- <br />dents, particularly ground squirrels (Citellus sp.), by the <br />Prairie Falcon in the desert areas would tend to lessen the impact <br />of the competition between the two congeners for avian prey in <br />those regions. <br />In regions of Utah where the populations of the peregrine <br />-- were greatest, pairs of Prairie Falcons and peregrines nested much <br />closer together than did pairs of peregrines or pairs of prairies. <br />The two species sometimes even used one another's alternate nest- <br />ing sites. When they nested close together, their nesting sites <br />were not known to be visible from one another. Although they were <br />observed in aerial combat, neither species appeared to be able to <br />consistently dislodge its congener from its nesting site. <br />Our data suggest that both species select eyrie sites on the <br />basis of availability, but when given a choice they seemingly se- <br />lect them on the basis of directional exposure to the sun. The <br />peregrine shows a preference for north- and east-facing cliffs, <br />and the Prairie Falcon shows a preference for south- and west- <br />facing cliffs. This relationship between the two species needs <br />additional investigation to further test its validity in Utah <br />