Peregrine falcon

Falco peregrinus · The peregrine falcon is a crow-sized bird of prey known for its speed, found nearly everywhere on Earth from the Arctic tundra to the tropics.

Also called Peregrine, Duck hawk.

Peregrine falcon
Photo: Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0
Peregrine falcon
Photo: Sumeet Moghe, CC BY-SA 4.0
Peregrine falcon
Photo: FlightEditor, CC BY-SA 4.0

Taxonomy

KingdomAnimalia
PhylumChordata
ClassAves
OrderFalconiformes
FamilyFalconidae
GenusFalco
SpeciesFalco peregrinus

Where it lives

Cliffs, coasts and cities on every continent except Antarctica.

Fun facts

  • During courtship, the female peregrine flies upside-down to take food from the male's talons in mid-air.
  • Peregrines have a flicker fusion frequency of 129 Hz, which is very fast for a bird of its size and much faster than mammals.
  • Peregrines have been used in falconry for more than 3,000 years, starting with nomads in central Asia.
  • Peregrines hunt by stooping, a steep high-speed dive, and in 2005 one was recorded diving at a top speed of 389 km/h (242 mph).

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Facts and taxonomy adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).