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Conserv. status: SRank S4B

Number of squares Confirmed Probable Possible Point counts 3 0 0 0 Long-term BBS trends Region Years Trend (conf. interv.) Reliab. Canada 1970 - 2022 5.83 (3.11 - 8.87) Low

Atlas Results

Saskatchewan's first documented natural nest site post-DDT was found on 20 June 2021, on Carswell Lake. The active nest site was observed from a canoe on a small cliff ledge with a pair in attendance. Dene elder Denis Larocque indicated that Peregrines have nested on Johnston Island in Lake Athabasca, though a trip was not possible during expeditions on the lake. Given the rugged terrain in the north and confirmed nesting sites in northern Alberta, it is plausible that Peregrines nest in low numbers in Saskatchewan's far north. In the south, Peregrines continue to nest on tall city buildings in both Saskatoon and Regina. Encounters outside of city centers are likely birds hunting away from known nest sites or in transit.

Excerpts Adapted from the Birds of Saskatchewan:

Although a raptor of open country, the Peregrine Falcon has never been a common nesting bird in Saskatchewan; the eager birder must keep a sharp eye during migration as this predator hunts shorebirds and waterfowl over wetlands. Most Peregrine Falcons seen in Saskatchewan are migrants that breed in Canada's north and winter in Central and South America.

The rarity of breeding Peregrine Falcons in the province is a result of geology and geomorphology. Peregrine Falcons need cliffs as nest sites. As the prairie rivers actively carved through Alberta and Montana they created cliffs at the major steppes in the northern Great Plains. By the time the rivers reach Saskatchewan they are levelling out, their downward cutting blunted by slower flows; the resulting riverbanks are sloped and the valleys rounded. Where there are cliffs along rivers in the southwest, the related Prairie Falcon has far outnumbered the Peregrine Falcon. As migrants, they occur mainly along the shores of lakes and rivers.

As a migrant the Peregrine Falcon is uncommon but regular throughout the province, while during the winter it is at best of rare occurrence. They have always been rare breeding birds with historic records in the extreme southwest and recent introductions of mixed success in the larger cities.

Original text by Geoffrey L. Holroyd. Text adapted by Daniel J. Sawatzky

Read more about the Peregrine Falcon in the Birds of Saskatchewan here.

LeeAnn M. Latremouille

Recommended citation: Latremouille, L. M. 2025. Peregrine Falcon in Latremouille, L. M., S. L. Van Wilgenburg, C. B. Jardine, D. Lepage, A. R. Couturier, D. Evans, D. Iles, and K. L. Drake (eds.). 2025. The Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Saskatchewan, 2017-2021. Birds Canada. Saskatoon, Saskatchewan https://sk.birdatlas.ca/accounts/speciesaccount.jsp?sp=PEFA&lang=en [14 Nov 2025]