The peregrine falcon is a large powerful fast Falcon found in various habitat , marshes and areas north America . It has been found in recent decades now occupying urban areas .
It can be found nearly everywhere on Earth, except extreme polar regions, very high mountains, and most tropical rainforests.
The peregrine is a highly successful example of urban wildlife in much of its range, taking advantage of tall buildings as nest sites, and an abundance of prey such as pigeons and ducks.
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Scientific classification
- Kingdom : Animalia
- Phylum : Chordata
- Class : Aves
- Order: falconiformes
- Family : falconidae
- Genus : Falco
- Specie : F. Peregrinus
Habitat
This bird is of open spaces usually associated with high cliffs and bluffs overlooking rivers and coasts. Recently, many cities with tall buildings have become home to pairs of peregrines. Many populations are migratory and will travel great distances.
Speed
The peregrine falcon lives mostly along mountain ranges, river valleys, coastlines, and increasingly in cities. In mild-winter regions, it is usually a permanent resident, and some individuals, especially adult males, will remain on the breeding territory. Only populations that breed in Arctic climates typically migrate great distances during the northern winter.
A study testing the flight physics of an “ideal falcon” found a theoretical speed limit at 400 km/h for low-altitude flight and 625 km/h (388 mph) for high-altitude flight. Some sources state that the peregrine falcon can reach over 320 km/h (200 mph) during its stoop,which would make it the fastest animal on the planet.
According to a National Geographic TV program, in 2005 Ken Franklin recorded a falcon stooping at a top speed of 389 km/h (242 mph).Other sources state that radar tracks have never confirmed these kinds of speeds, with the highest reliably measured being 184 km/h (114 mph).
Feeding Habits
The peregrine falcon’s diet varies greatly and is adapted to available prey in different regions.
They typically feeds on medium-sized birds such as pigeons and doves, waterfowl, gamebirds, songbirds, parrots, seabirds.
This bird hunts most often at dawn and dusk, when prey are most active, but also nocturnally in cities, particularly during migration periods when hunting at night may become prevalent. Nocturnal migrants taken by peregrines include species as diverse as yellow-billed cuckoo, black-necked grebe, Virginia rail, and common quail.
The peregrine requires open space in order to hunt, and therefore often hunts over open water, marshes, valleys, fields, and tundra, searching for prey either from a high perch or from the air
They feed almost exclusively on birds they take in the air. High-speed dives enable peregrines to catch everything from songbirds to herons and ducks.
Reproduction
TThe peregrine falcon exhibit sexual mode of reproduction at one to three years of age. A pair mates for life and returns to the same nesting spot annually. The male passes prey it has caught to the female in mid-air. To make this possible, the female flies upside-down to receive the food from the male’s talons
During the breeding season, the peregrine falcon is territorial which means nesting pairs are usually more than 1 km apart, and often much farther, even in areas with large numbers of pairs.
The distance between nests ensures sufficient food supply for pairs and their chicks. Within a breeding territory, a pair may have several nesting ledges; the number used by a pair can vary from one or two up to seven in a 16-year period.
