northern aplomado falcon (Falco femoralis septentrionalis)
Taxonomy:
Listing Status: and
General Information
Adults characterized by rufous (rust) underparts, a gray back, a long and banded tail, and a distinctive black and white facial pattern. Aplomado falcons are smaller than peregrine falcons and larger than kestrels.
Population detail
The FWS is currently monitoring the following populations of the northern aplomado falcon
-
Population location: Wherever found, except where listed as an experimental population
Listing status: Endangered
- States/US Territories in which this population is known to or is believed to occur: Texas
- US Counties in which this population is known to or is believed to occur: View All
- USFWS Refuges in which this population is known to occur:
Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, Big Boggy National Wildlife Refuge, Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge, San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge
- Countries in which the this population is known to occur: Guatemala, Mexico
-
Population location: U.S.A (AZ, NM)
Listing status: Experimental Population, Non-Essential
- States/US Territories in which this population is known to or is believed to occur: Arizona , New Mexico
- US Counties in which this population is known to or is believed to occur: View All
- USFWS Refuges in which this population is known to occur:
Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge
| Status | Date Listed | Lead Region | Where Listed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986-02-25 | Southwest Region (Region 2) | Wherever found, except where listed as an experimental population | |
| 2006-07-26 | Southwest Region (Region 2) | U.S.A (AZ, NM) |
» Federal Register Documents
| Date | Citation Page | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 2005-02-09 00:00:00.0 | 70 FR 6819 6828 | Establishment of a Nonessential Experimental Population of Northern Aplomado Falcons in New Mexico and Arizona and Availability of Draft Environmental Assessment |
» Recovery
| Date | Title | Plan Action Status | Plan Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990-06-08 | Aplomado Falcon (Northern) | View Implementation Progress | Final |
| Date | Citation Page | Title | Document Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-03-29 | 75 FR 15454 15456 | 5-Year Status Reviews of 14 Southwestern Species |
|
| Date | Title |
|---|---|
| 2014-08-26 | Northern Aplomado Falcon 5-Year Review |
» Critical Habitat
No critical habitat rules have been published for the northern aplomado falcon.
» Conservation Plans
| HCP Plan Summaries |
|---|
| Malpai Borderlands |
| SHA Plan Summaries |
|---|
| Aplomado Falcon 'Safe Harbor' |
| Coastal Prairie Coalition (GLCI) Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative |
» Petitions
» Life History
Habitat Requirements
Habitat is variable throughout the species range and includes palm and oak savannahs, various desert grassland associations, and open pine woodlands. Within these variations, the essential habitat elements appear to be open terrain with scattered trees, relatively low ground cover, an abundance of insects and small to medium-sized birds, and a supply of nest sites.
Food Habits
Northern aplomado falcons feed on a variety of prey, including birds, insects, rodents, small snakes, and lizards.
Movement / Home Range
The species appears to be non-migratory throughout its range.
Reproductive Strategy
The species nests in abandoned stick platforms of corvids and other raptors. The average clutch size is 3 eggs. Radio-tagged fledglings in south Texas suggest that most pairs use the vicinity of previous season's nesting platform as a hunting, roosting, and display area throughout the year.
Other
Disturbance at nest sites and destruction of habitat are threats to the species.
» Other Resources
NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and Canada. NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.
ITIS Reports -- ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of North America and the world.
FWS Digital Media Library -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library is a searchable collection of selected images, historical artifacts, audio clips, publications, and video.
