Peregrine nests spike in Yosemite
New peregrine falcon nest sites are contributing to what a wildlife outlet calls a record‑breaking year for the species in Yosemite, with observers documenting multiple successful sites. (discoverwildlife.com) The uptick in nesting is being reported alongside the park’s management decisions for the coming season. (easternsierranow.com)
Yosemite’s peregrine falcons hit a park record in 2025, with 15 confirmed nests, 23 fledglings and seven newly found nest sites. (yosemiteaudubon.org) Park staff lifted the last seasonal peregrine and golden eagle climbing closures on July 15, 2025, after the chicks fledged and dispersed. Yosemite’s closure season generally runs from March 1 to July 15, with routes added or reopened as biologists confirm where birds are nesting. (nps.gov 1) (nps.gov 2) The park’s formal Yosemite Raptor Protection Program began in 2009. Since then, biologists have documented 51 new peregrine nests across Yosemite and use what the park calls “adaptive closures” instead of shutting large cliff areas for the full season. (nps.gov) That system is built around a basic problem on Yosemite’s walls: the same sheer granite cliffs that attract climbers also serve as falcon nesting habitat. Park officials say climbing, slacklining and even hiking near an active nest can cause breeding pairs to abandon eggs or chicks. (nps.gov) Yosemite reported 17 breeding pairs, 15 nests and 25 baby peregrines in 2024, one year before the 2025 record. Wildlife managers said they studied 43 cliff sites in 2024, including El Capitan, Upper Yosemite Fall, Glacier Point, Tuolumne and Wawona. (yosemite.org) The rebound follows a much longer recovery. Yosemite’s climbing-closure page says peregrines were gone from the park for decades before returning, and Yosemite Conservancy said climbers rediscovered nesting birds in 1978 after a 36-year absence. (nps.gov) (yosemite.org) Yosemite now publishes a public dashboard showing known peregrine territories, estimated eyries — the high ledge nests used by birds of prey — and active cliff closures. The map is a joint project of the National Park Service and Yosemite Conservancy. (experience.arcgis.com) The nesting surge is landing as Yosemite heads into a busier access season. Eastern Sierra Now reported on April 14, 2026, that the park will not use a summer reservation system in 2026, while Yosemite’s current conditions page says Tioga Road and Glacier Point Road were still closed by snow as of last week. (easternsierranow.com) (nps.gov) For visitors, that means the falcon story is no longer just about recovery numbers. It is now part of how Yosemite manages spring access on some of its most famous cliffs, one nest site at a time. (nps.gov)
