Falcons in vineyards: the way forward

Abstract

The Falcons for Grapes project began in late 2005. The aims of this project have been twofold – to establish a colony of threatened NZ native falcons in vineyards, and to reduce bird damage to grapes using an established natural ecosystem. The results presented here indicate that native falcons established in vineyards may provide considerable protection from bird damage, and is a clear example of an existing ecosystem that could be adopted to afford economic benefit (Constanza et al., 1997).