Peregrine Falcon. / © Shirley Zundell
Congratulations to Shirley Zundell for winning the May 2018 iNaturalist Vermont photo-observation of the month. The image of a Peregrine Falcon was the most popular photo-observation.
Historically, the eastern Peregrine Falcon population was centered in New England and the Adirondack Mountains, ranging south along the spine of the Appalachians to western Georgia. In 1940, the population was estimated at 350 pairs; by the mid-1960s, the species was completely gone from the region, a victim of the devastating pesticide DDT. Today, thanks to a highly successful reintroduction and management program, the species has been removed from the federal list of endangered species, though it remains listed as “threatened” in New Hampshire. It was removed from Vermont’s list in 2005. Check out the latest observations of Peregrine Falcon on Vermont eBird and add all of your bird sightings to Vermont eBird or iNaturalist Vermont.
Visit iNaturalist Vermont, and you can vote for the winner this month by clicking ‘fav’ on your favorite photo-observation. Make sure you get outdoors and record the biodiversity around you, then submit your discoveries and you could be a winner!
