Peregrine Falcon at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum

Peregrine Falcon — Species Information

Species common name: Peregrine falcon
Latin name: Falco peregrinous
Order, family: Accipitridae, Falconiformes
Range, habitat: Another extremely widespread species, found on every continent except Antarctica. Hunts in open environments, especially coastlines but also grasslands and the edges of forests. Urban environments as well.
Weight: 750-1200 g
Wingspan: 100-120 cm
Length: 36-56 cm
Lifespan: Wild, 8-15; captivity 25-30
Clutch, nest: 2-6, makes "scrapes" on cliffs (basically a depressions in the dirt), buildings/overpasses/bridges also.
Predators: Great horned owl may eat roosting peregrines. Golden eagles and gyrfalcons in a confrontation.
Prey: Diet is 75-99% birds. Prefers to hunt by flying high above a flock and then diving down at impressive speeds. Impact alone may kill the target. The most commonly eaten mammals are bats.

Peregrine Falcon by Ian Collier
Peregrine Falcon - © Ian Collier

Peregrines are generally considered the "fastest animals on the planet"; they are certainly the best documented. A skydiver jumped out of an airplane with a trained peregrine, and clocked the bird at 242 mph in a dive.

Fun Facts!

In a vertical dive after prey, called a "stoop," the peregrine falcon is the fastest animal in the world. It has been clocked at 242 mph

Hunts avian prey almost exclusively

One of the greatest conservation success stories. Through captive-breeding and reintroduction and the ban of a chemical pesticide called DDT, peregrine falcons are no longer an endangered species.