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Peregrine falcon fastest12/18/2023 ![]() ![]() They occasionally pirate prey, including fish and rodents, from other raptors. Peregrine Falcons also eat substantial numbers of bats. Typical prey include shorebirds, ptarmigan, ducks, grebes, gulls, storm-petrels, pigeons, and songbirds including jays, thrushes, longspurs, buntings, larks, waxwings, and starlings. They have been observed killing birds as large as a Sandhill Crane, as small as a hummingbird, and as elusive as a White-throated Swift. Peregrine Falcons eat mostly birds, of an enormous variety-450 North American species have been documented as prey, and the number worldwide may be as many as 2,000 species. In migration and winter you can find Peregrine Falcons in nearly any open habitat, but with a greater likelihood along barrier islands, mudflats, coastlines, lake edges, and mountain chains. They can be found nesting at elevations up to about 12,000 feet, as well as along rivers and coastlines or in cities, where the local Rock Pigeon populations offer a reliable food supply. In North America they breed in open landscapes with cliffs (or skyscrapers) for nest sites. ![]() These birds are easily bred in captivity and adapt well to humans who over the centuries have trained them to hunt.The word "peregrine" means "wanderer" or "pilgrim," and Peregrine Falcons occur all over the world. Peregrine falcons have been used by humans in the sport of falconry for over 3000 years. Breeding between August and December, eggs take 30 days to hatch and once the chicks leave the nest after around 35 days, they will travel widely but often return to their original home territory to eventually breed themselves. A loud scream or “kee-kee-kee-kee” sound is used by peregrines to communicate with their mate. Peregrine falcons mate for life and share the duties of incubating and feeding their chicks. Peregrines don’t build nests but instead lay between two and four eggs within a shallow dip in a rock or cliff face, tree hollows, on the ledge of a tall building or in the abandoned nests of other bird species such as the whistling kite. Image credits: Simon Carter/Australian Geographic Peregrine falcons have a creamy white chin and chest and a dark hood. During breeding season, peregrines have been known to hunt in pairs, with the male usually scattering a bird flock, while the female swoops down to snatch a targeted bird to eat. The falcon mainly eats other birds that are caught in flight, which are then carried to a perch before being plucked and eaten.Ĭity dwelling falcons feed on feral pigeons, as well as honeyeaters and some water birds, with all peregrines also dining on rabbits and other small mammals when the opportunity presents. Image credit: shutterstockĭinner time is a speedy affair for the peregrine, with the bird recording speeds of up to 300km per hour in a dive chasing a meal. The peregrine falcon can reach a diving speed of up to 300km per hour. Preferring wide-open woodlands with a water source nearby or coastal or inland cliffs, the peregrine falcon has also adapted well to human settlement and have been known to live on bridges and high buildings within cities. From the arid desert zone to the rainforest, the coast to alpine terrain, this falcon will reside happily at sea level but is equally suited to the high altitude of the mountains.Īustralian peregrines are usually sedentary and hold the same territories and nest sites throughout the year. Highly adaptable, the peregrine lives in a greater variety of habitats than any other bird of prey on the planet. The peregrine falcon is found throughout Australia, Asia, Europe, the Americas, and Africa. Large sharp talons complete this bird of prey’s striking appearance and are used to easily catch and kill food mid-flight. With a striking yellow eye-ring and matching heavy yellow bill with black tip, the peregrine has feathery upper legs, with yellow lower legs and feet. Peregrines have long pointed wings and females are generally larger than males. ![]() Illustration credit: Ego Guiotto/Australian GeographicĪ large blue-grey raptor, with barred underparts, creamy white chin and chest and a dark hood, the peregrine falcon is a powerfully built hunting machine. ![]()
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