Peregrine falcon (pealei and anatum/tundrius) COSEWIC assessment and status report: chapter 11

Existing Protection or Other Status Designations

The Peregrine Falcon is protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which restricts the import and export of birds and eggs in signatory countries. It is listed in Appendix 1 of CITES as a “most critically endangered” species. Like other raptors, Peregrine Falcons are not protected by the federal Migratory Birds Convention Act. However, the Peregrine Falcon is listed on Schedule 1 of the federal Species at Risk Act (SARA), and therefore, protected on federal lands.

Under SARA, Anatum and Pealei Peregrine Falcons are on Schedule 1 and the Tundrius Peregrine Falcon is on Schedule 3 (see SARA website: Schedule 3). The General Status of Species in Canada gives an overall rank of 4, or Secure in Canada for the Peregrine Falcon. It considers Peregrine Falcons At Risk in AB, SK, MB, ON, NB, NS, Sensitive in YT, NT, BC, QC, NL and Secure in NU (CESCC 2006).

In the USA, the Anatum Peregrine was delisted as an Endangered species and is now managed under control of the Office of Migratory Bird Management (Federal Register 1999). Harvesting is now allowed in the lower 48 states under the USFWS (2003) Peregrine Falcon management plan.

The Peregrine Falcon is also protected under all provincial and territorial wildlife acts but details of such protection vary between provinces and territories. Status designations at the provincial and territorial levels vary across the country with those designations having various legal meanings (Table 9).

Table 9. Status of the Peregrine Falcon in Canadian jurisdictions
Jurisdiction Anatum
NHR Rank
Anatum
Provincial Status
Tundrius
NHR Rank
Tundrius
Provincial Status
Pealei
NHR Rank
Pealei
Provincial Status
British Columbia S2B SZN Red List SZN Blue List S3B S2N Blue List
Alberta S3B Threatened        
Saskatchewan S1B SZN          
Manitoba   Endangered        
Ontario S2S3B SZN Threatened   Threatened    
Quebec S3 Vulnerable S3 None    
New Brunswick   Endangered        
Nova Scotia   Threatened        
Newfoundland   Threatened   Threatened    
Northwest Territories SNR At risk SNR May be at risk    
Nunavut   None   None    
Yukon   Threatened   Special protection    

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