BAR HARBOR, Maine — Several trails at Acadia National Park are closed until further notice to allow peregrine falcons to nest undisturbed.
The Jordan Cliffs and Precipice trails and parts of the Orange & Black Path closed Wednesday until further notice, park officials said in a release.
"Park staff 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 release said.
Nesting peregrine falcons are particularly vulnerable to human activities, which can disturb adult birds and make them less attentive to eggs or chicks, and human activities near a nesting area can lead to chicks being abandoned and suffering from hypothermia, starvation, and predation.
Park wildlife biologist Bik Wheeler said the reintroduction of peregrine falcons to the park is one of Acadia's "major conservation success stories," and "allowing the birds to breed is part of the park's commitment "to protecting ecological integrity."
Peregrine falcons nested on Mount Desert Island decades ago and the last known nesting pair was reported in 1956, according to Acadia.
Signs are posted at trailheads and trail junctions.
Public entry into a closed area is a federal violation punishable by a fine, imprisonment, or both.
From 1987 to 1990, adult peregrines returned to Acadia, and the first successful nesting in 35 years took place in 1991.
Since then, more than 160 chicks have been born in the park.
