Birds of Prey
Peregrine Falcon
Falco peregrinus
The fastest animal on Earth, reaching speeds over 200 mph when diving on prey. After disappearing from the East in the 1960s, it now nests even on city skyscrapers.
How to identify it
- Blue-gray back and wings
- Dark "helmet" with a thick black mustache mark
- Pale chest with fine dark bars below
- Long, pointed wings and powerful flight
SizeAbout the size of an American Crow
American Robin10 in
Peregrine Falcon17 in
American Crow19 in
Canada Goose37 in
6 inAverage length, bill to tail
Details
- Size
- 14–19 in long; wingspan 39–43 in
- Weight
- 1.2–3.5 lb
- Habitat
- Coasts, cliffs, bridges and tall city buildings
- When to see it
- Year-round in parts of the US; migrants pass along the coasts in fall
- Diet
- Birds, especially pigeons, shorebirds and ducks
Range in the United States
Life history
Food
Hunts birds in flight, especially pigeons, ducks and shorebirds, striking them in a high-speed dive.
Nesting
A scrape on a cliff ledge, bridge or tall building; no sticks are added.
- Clutch
- 3–4 eggs
- Incubation
- about 33 days
- Young
- Fledge at about 5–6 weeks
- Broods
- 1 per year
Behavior
Pairs defend their territory fiercely. Many city pairs nest on skyscrapers and hunt pigeons.
Conservation
Endangered by DDT, it recovered and was removed from the endangered list in 1999.
Cool facts
- It can dive at speeds over 200 mph.
- Peregrines were reintroduced to many cities where tall buildings act like cliffs.
- Its name means "wanderer," for its long migrations.
Songs & calls
▶Bird sounds video coming soon
Watch the Peregrine Falcon
▶Video coming soon
