Peregrine Falcon

peregrine falcon: see falcon.

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peregrine falcon

 or duck hawk

Peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus).

(credit: Kenneth W. Fink—Root Resources)

Falcon species (Falco peregrinus) found worldwide but rare today because of bioaccumulation of pesticides. Peregrines are 13–19 in. (33–48 cm) long and gray above, with black-barred whitish underparts. They fly high and dive at tremendous speed (up to 175 mph, or 280 kph—the greatest speeds attained by any bird), striking with clenched talons and killing by impact. They usually nest in a scrape on a high cliff ledge near water, where bird prey is plentiful. Breeding programs have reintroduced the species into the wild and introduced it into urban areas, where it finds a clifflike habitat among skyscrapers and preys chiefly on the rock dove (see pigeon). Despite the programs' success, the species remains vulnerable.

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peregrine falcon

a falcon, Falco peregrinus, occurring in most parts of the world, having a dark plumage on the back and wings and lighter underparts

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Peregrine Falcon 

(Falco peregrinus), a bird of the order Falconiformes having a body length of 40–50 cm and a weight of 500–1,000 g. The females are larger than the males. The cap is slate-blue or reddish yellow; the back ranges in color from light slate-blue to almost black. The underparts are mottled—with small, sparse markings or large markings that almost merge into one another. The wings are long and pointed.

The peregrine falcon is widely distributed; it is absent in Antarctica and most of South America. In the USSR the bird’s range extends from the tundra to the southern borders; during migrations the bird enters the lowland steppes. The peregrine falcon nests in trees (occupying the former nests of other birds), on rocky ledges, on the ground, or, occasionally, in buildings (towers, belfries). A clutch contains three or four brick-brown eggs, which are incubated for 28 days. The young leave the nest in five or six weeks. The peregrine falcon preys mainly on birds, which it seizes in the air. It dives at velocities reaching 70–100 m per sec.

In some places the peregrine falcon is used as a hunting bird. The species is becoming rare. In the United States, where the bird has disappeared from the eastern states, attempts are being made to raise the peregrine falcon in captivity to restore the population.