Happy Indigenous Peoples' Day! I chose to research the Peregrine Falcon because we monitor a breeding pair near our house. My mom found some websites about Peregrines, raptors and birds in general, and their connection to Yup'ik, Potawatomi, and Ojibwe peoples and the environment:
"...on the YK Delta, the peregrine is known as “qiirayuli,” which in Yupik means “the one who calls qee qee qee qee” when disturbed." -- University of Alaska Fairbanks Yup'ik Bird Book: Peregrine Falcon
“Birds of prey are apex predators at the top of the food chain and are extremely sensitive to many environmental changes in an ecosystem because they depend on a balance of wildlife as a prey base to support them.” -- Potawatomi.org: Raptors play a key role in ecological management
Peregrines help keep down populations of avian prey species, like pigeons, which can cause problems if their populations rise too high.
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Peregrine Falcon "Morty" on 6.28.25. See McKinley Peregrines for more information. |