by Janet Grischy

Created on: November 03, 2008

Swift and powerful, the Peregrine Falcon stoops on its prey at 200 miles per hour. It is the fastest animal in the world. Seizing smaller birds from behind and biting, it kills by breaking the spine. Its thrilling speed and relentless flight have made it a favored choice of falconers for over a thousand years.

It range is worldwide and it breeds on many continents. Yet the Peregrine could have become extinct. In the late 1950's dead birds of many species killed outright by pesticides were first noticed. But the effects on Peregrines and other raptors were more subtle. Because they are at the top of their food chain, feeding on birds who feed on invertebrates, and because they live relatively long, DDT was slowly concentrated in these falcons. They did not die, but the poison altered their calcium metabolism, thinning the eggshells that sheltered their young. The weight of a nesting mother was enough to destroy the shell, so the chick was never born.

The Peregrines of the eastern U.S. were exterminated. However, breeding programs with captive raised birds, which borrowed some of the traditional techniques of falconry, have increased the population. Protection of their habitat has encouraged their rebound. The magnificent Peregrine is now in no danger in the western United States, and is returning to the east.

The Peregrine Falcon, falco peregrinus, takes it name from the Latin word wanderer, perhaps meaning pilgrim falcon. It inhabits all the continents except Antarctica, and may fly up to 15,500 miles in its annual migrations. Birds that nest in arctic Alaska may winter in South America. It lives at every altitude up to 12,000 feet, and inhabits varied environments from tundra to desert.

Peregrines usually hunt birds, such as sparrows, pigeons, jays, shorebirds, and waterfowl, which they mostly take in the air. They have been observed preying on small mammals and reptiles as well.

They often nest near water in the wild, on rocky ledges. The nest is usually a "scrape", a hollowed spot, rather than something constructed, though they may take over old nests of other birds. Nowadays, they sometimes nest on ledges of tall buildings, making meals of city pigeons and other birds. The clutch is two to five reddish-brown splotched eggs, and the downy chicks are helpless at birth. Peregrine falcons mate for life.

Their appearance is wonderful, especially in flight. They have long pointed wings and a pointed tail. The back and wings are bluish gray or blackish, and barred. There is a black mustache mark by the beak. The rest of the head is dark, except for a white area behind the mustache and a white collar. The underparts are pale, but barred or spotted with variable amounts of darker coloring. The wings and tail are neatly barred with white. The cere, the bald place at the base of the beak where the nares (nostrils) are located, is yellow, as are the feet. The beak itself is black and so are the claws. The Peregrine is fifteen to twenty inches long, about the size of a crow. The female is larger as is common in falcons. It has a wingspan of about 3 1/2 feet, and weighs from 1 1/4 to 2 3/4 pounds. The markings of the male and female are the same.

The Peregrine Falcon has found a way to live with humankind, even though it is a solitary hunter. As well as in the wilds, they nest on our skyscrapers and tall bridges, where, if we are lucky, we may be dazzled by their sudden swift flight.

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