Peregrine Falcon

Peregrine Falcon

Falco peregrinus

Facts 2

People have trained falcons for hunting for over a thousand years, and the Peregrine Falcon was always one of the most prized birds. Efforts to breed the Peregrine in captivity and reestablish populations depleted during the DDT years were greatly assisted by the existence of methods of handling captive falcons developed by falconers. The oldest recorded Peregrine Falcon was at least 19 years, 9 months old, when it was identified by its band in Minnesota in 2012, the same state where it had been banded in 1992.

Facts

Peregrine falcons use their long, pointed wings and long narrow tails to make quick, powerful wing beats that allow them to travel at high speeds. Their name comes from the Latin word peregrinus, which means "to wander." They are commonly referred to as the Duck Hawk. Peregrine falcons are the fastest-flying birds in the world - they are able to dive at 200 miles per hour. Can live 7-15 years; some can live as long as 20 years. Female peregrine falcons can be up to 20% larger than males. The peregrine falcon mainly eats other birds and usually catches them mid-air.

Habitat

This bird is one of the most widely distributed species in the world. It is found on every continent except Antarctica. It can survive in a wide variety of habitats including urban cities, the tropics, deserts and the tundra. Some migrate long distances from their wintering areas to their summer nesting areas. The peregrine falcon inhabits a diverse range of habitats, from cold tundra to hot deserts and tropics, and from oceanic islands, to forests, wetlands, savannah and mountains. It is also increasingly using urban habitats, and is absent only from parts of the Amazon Basin, Sahara Desert, most of the steppes of central and eastern Asia, and Antarctica.