PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • May 27, 2025
After rebounding from near extinction, Maine’s peregrine falcons appear to be holding steady, producing more chicks than usual last year to remain seemingly unaffected by the avian flu that is killing peregrines in other shoreline states. In 2024, about 35 years after their reintroduction to Maine, 33 peregrine falcon pairs raised 46 babies to their fledgling stage. A new state report documents the peregrine falcon’s status, raising concern about the future of the fastest animal on the planet. In other parts of the U.S., observers have documented significant drops in occupancy. The peregrine falcon was removed from the federal endangered species list in 1999. But it’s still on Maine’s list because of the small size of the local population and its sensitivity to nesting disturbance.