Baby Peregrine Falcon being banded/NPS/Todd Edgar.

Peregrine falcons are again defending nesting territories at the Precipice, Jordan, and Valley Cove cliffs in Acadia National Park. Park staff members have observed adults at these sites engaging in courtship and pre-nesting behavior, signaling the birds’ intentions to nest and raise chicks during the spring and early summer. The National Park Service has closed the cliffs and associated trails to public entry to protect the peregrine falcons from inadvertent disturbance or harassment during the nesting period.

Research has shown that nesting peregrine falcons are particularly vulnerable to human activities, which can disturb the adults and make them less attentive to the eggs or chicks. Human activities near a nesting area can lead to temporary or permanent abandonment of the nest by the adults, which in turn leaves the chicks susceptible to hypothermia, starvation, and predation. Human disturbance that leads to chick mortality slows the recovery of this once endangered species.

“The success of peregrine falcon nesting in Acadia National Park is one of our great conservation stories,” said Superintendent Kevin Schneider, “We appreciate the cooperation of visitors in protecting peregrine falcons by complying with the temporary closures.”

The Precipice Trail, Jordan Cliffs Trail, Valley Cove Trail, and a portion of the Orange & Black Path are closed to public entry until further notice. Signs at trail heads and trail junctions around the closed areas indicate where public entry is prohibited. The reopening of the closed areas is expected when nesting attempts succeed or possibly sooner if nesting attempts fail. Public entry into a closed area is a violation of federal regulations, which is punishable by a fine, imprisonment, or both.