A massive volunteer effort helped Renewable Resources determine the endangered western peregrine falcon is making a comeback in the territory. Dozens of volunteers, some from outside the Yukon, canoed, boated and helicoptered over 3,000 kilometres of Yukon waterways this summer. They spend hundreds of hours with spotting scopes and binoculars searching the riverside cliffs for nesting sites. The crews made stops at designated places and faithfully waited until they spotted the birds before moving on to the next site, he said. Often it takes many hours of observation to find out if they're there and what they're doing.
Preliminary results show the birds' numbers are increasing in all regions of the territory.
A record 121 nesting pairs were counted. The total population is now estimated at between 160 and 200 pairs, up about 30 per cent from the last survey in 1990. About 50 young peregrines were also banded during this summer's survey, said Mossop. The survey was part of a Canada-wide count of the falcon as called for by a national recovery plan for the species. During the 1960s, the species collapsed drastically throughout much of its range.