Peregrine
Falcon
ü COMMON NAME: Peregrine
Falcon
ü SCIENTIFIC NAME: Falco
peregrinus
ü TYPE: Birds
ü DIET: Carnivore
ü AVERAGE LIFE SPAN IN THE
WILD: Up to 17 years
ü SIZE: Body: 14 to 19 inches;
wingspan: 3.3 to 3.6 feet
ü WEIGHT: 18.8 to 56.5 ounces
ABOUT
THE PEREGRINE FALCON
These falcons are formidable hunters that
prey on other birds (and bats) in mid-flight. Peregrines hunt from above and,
after sighting their prey, drop into a steep, swift dive that can top 200 miles
an hour.
Habitat
Peregrine falcons are among the world's most
common birds of prey and live on all continents except Antarctica. They prefer
wide-open spaces, and thrive near coasts where shorebirds are common, but they
can be found everywhere from tundra to deserts. Peregrines are even known to
live on bridges and skyscrapers in major cities.
Nesting and Migration
These birds may travel widely outside the
nesting season—their name means "wanderer." Though some individuals
are permanent residents, many migrate. Those that nest on Arctic tundra and
winter in South America fly as many as 15,500 miles in a year. Yet they have an
incredible homing instinct that leads them back to favored aeries. Some nesting
sites have been in continuous use for hundreds of years, occupied by successive
generations of falcons.
Population Rebound
Peregrine populations were in steep decline
during the mid-20th century, and in the United States these beautiful falcons
became an endangered species. The birds have rebounded strongly since the use
of DDT and other chemical pesticides was curtailed. Captive breeding programs
have also helped to boost the bird's numbers in the U.S. and Canada. Now
populations are strong in those nations, and in some parts of the globe, there
actually may be more peregrines than existed before the 20th-century decline.
Peregrines are favored by falconers, and
have been used in that sport for many centuries.
There are
around 66 species in the family Falconidae, which contains the falcons, caracas
and kestrels. Falcons are fast, agile flyers with pointed wings. Other
characteristics include hooked beaks and acute eyesight.
Unlike
raptors in the family Accipitridae, the falcons dispatch their prey with their
beaks rather than with their talons. A falcon’s bill has a blunt tooth on the
upper mandible for this purpose.
The
peregrine falcon is the world’s fastest moving animal. It has been recorded
travelling at a speed of 389 km/h (242 mph) while diving.
