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Falco peregrines
Habitat: Mountain ranges, river valleys, and coastlines.
Diet: Eats primarily birds from songbirds to small geese. They will also eat small mammals like bats and rodents.
Reproduction: Peregrine falcons prefer open habitats, such as grasslands, tundra, and meadows. They are most common in tundra and coastal areas while rare in sub-tropical and tropical habitats. They nest on cliff faces and crevices. Due to urbanization, they have recently begun to nest in tall buildings preying on pigeons. They have been observed breeding as high as 3600 meters elevation in the Rocky Mountains of North America.
Behavior: These magnificent birds were nearly wiped out by the mid-1960's from exposure to DDT, habitat loss, and shooting. DDT is a pesticide that ended up in the waterways contaminating fish. Peregrine falcons, ingested DDT after eating the fish. The DDT caused the bird's egg shells to be brittle and thin and eggs often broke when the parents sat on them during incubation. DDT was banned in the United States in 1973.
In 1999 the Peregrine Falcon was removed from the US endangered species list.
Physical Description: The peregrine falcon is a majestic bird of prey, with slate blue upper parts and cream-colored under parts. Its under-parts are distinguished by horizontal black barring and spotting. The peregrine's elegant head pattern makes this species very distinctive, even from a distance. Male peregrines weigh an average of 611 grams and females 952 grams.
Conservation Status: Common
Fun Facts:
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Peregrine falcons use a wide variety of vocalizations at different stages of life, but primarily during breeding seasons. |
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Most vocalizations are either between mated individuals, parents and offspring, or in antagonistic interactions. |
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Postures are used to communicate aggression and appeasement. Raising the feathers and bill gaping are typical of aggressive posturing. Submission is indicated by the feathers being held tight to the body and the head held down, with beak averted. |
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Peregrine falcons have extraordinarily keen vision. They can see small objects from very far away and accurately fly at high speeds to capture them |
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