The worry we have then is if adults come charging. No one wants to get a talon in the back of the neck. |
There are concerns, of course, about the danger to the community and livestock. We are trying to find their movement pattern. |
They don't all show up at once, but they can be quite aggressive to climbers, so we want to make sure and secure those cliffs before they arrive. |
They prey principally on small birds they catch on the wing, and Zion has a really good food source and good nesting sites for these falcons. |
We've been doing this for 20 to 25 years and climbers know there are many other alternatives. We've modified the closures over the years to accommodate the birds. They may use one nest one year and another nest the next year, but it's all in the same territory. |
You could look for hours at that sheer cliff trying to see a little hole in it. You're better off watching for the adults on the wing or checking with the visitor's center on nest locations. |
Zion is considered a core population area for the peregrine falcons. This area probably produces more young birds for dispersal outside the park than come into the park. |