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ST. GEORGE — One of the signs of spring in Zion National Park is the return of the monogamous peregrine falcons. Park officials confirm that these fast, high-flying birds frequently return to the same territory yearly.
"If they are forced off their nests, they may not return, and that's why it's so important that we do not disturb them at this critical time of year," Janice Stroud-Settles, lead wildlife biologist at Zion National Park, told St. George News. "Peregrine falcons are monogamous, and they mate for life."
The falcon's ritual means that some climbing cliffs in the park are closed from March until early fall. Like Angels Landing, towering crags are nesting sites for peregrines to raise their young. Stroud-Settles said peregrine falcons prefer to nest in the crevices on cliff faces as high as 1,300 feet from the canyon floor.
Once the nesting locations are determined for this year, the cliffs that were closed but are not used for nest sites will be reopened, typically by late April or early May.
