Passport to Texas

State Parks: Aplomado Falcon Release Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

After disappearing from parts of Texas almost 50 years ago, steps are being taken to restore the endangered falcon to its native range—and one state park will play a role in this effort. Our State park Guide, Bryan Frazier has more.

62—We had some habitat destruction and just practices that we just weren’t aware of what we were doing as a culture that ended up impacting these birds of prey. Well, in the years and decades since, we’ve been able to learn from our mistakes, and we’ve been able to bring back some of the beautiful, magnificent birds of prey to the south Texas coast. You’ve got an existing population of about thirty-five or so nesting Aplomado falcons, and we’re now putting more in at mustang island SP. It’s a real creative task force effort from the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Peregrine Fund, and Texas Parks and Wildlife, the National Park Service, and all these groups and agencies that have interest in protecting and preserving our resources are bringing back these birds. They’re putting them up on these ten and twelve foot platforms called hack sites, and they’re putting chicks in there; getting the acclimated to the habitat, getting the ready to leave the nest and help fill some of those habitat gaps in between existing populations. And Mustang Island State Park’s right near Corpus—along a key part of the shoreline. It’s a great place to get those birds back where they belong.

Thanks Bryan

That’s our show for today…with funding provided by Chevrolet, supporting outdoor recreation in Texas; because there’s life to be done.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife I’m Cecilia Nasti.