Peregrine Falcons
The health of the peregrine falcon population can tell us a lot about the health of our environment. Prior to the use of DDT, a pesticide once commonly used, there were 375 nesting pairs of Peregrine Falcons in the eastern United States. The last nesting pair in Massachusetts was in 1955 on Monument Mountain, and by 1966 there were no remaining nesting pairs in the eastern United States. Since then, the first successful nesting pair in Massachusetts was found after reintroduction occurred in 1987 on the Customs House Tower in Boston. This predatory bird species has made a comeback: it was removed from the federal Endangered Species Act list in 1999 and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is currently home to nearly 50 breeding pairs of falcons.
The falcons have also become an unlikely partner of MassDOT Highway Division. Peregrine falcons play a role in preserving vital roadway infrastructure in the Commonwealth by reducing long-term maintenance on large scale bridges. They are experts at hunting the non-native rock pigeon (a species that was introduced to North America in the 1600s and is notorious for creating piles of guano on bridge elements – accelerating the aging of the structure elements and shortening the bridge’s lifespan). Since 2017, MassDOT Highway Division and the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife) have maintained a nesting box for these majestic falcons on the Gillis Bridge. Birders have enjoyed spying the previously laid eggs on the Gillis Memorial Bridge Peregrine Falcon camera.
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Bats
From the 1940s through the 1960s, DDT and other pesticides had a huge effect on bats across North America. After additional population declines caused by White Nose Syndrome, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service listed the Northern Long-eared Bat as a Endangered species under the Endangered Species Act on March 31, 2023. The Northern Long-eared Bat is also listed as Endangered under the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act.
MassDOT ensures that all of its projects are in compliance with state and federal regulations for this species, as well as other bats. Beyond the regulatory requirements there have been opportunities for MassDOT to be a partner in bat conservation. This includes contributing to the known presence of bat species throughout the Commonwealth through acoustic surveys, construction of bat boxes, and helping to protect some of their most important habitat through the installation of bat gates and fences. These are structures which are specially designed to allow the bats to freely fly through while keeping people out.