The bird lives in the northern hemisphere in North America. Europe, and Asia. The peregrine targets it's prey, primarily birds, which are often twice its size, from the sky. Widespread and indiscriminate use of DDT in the middle of this century caused a drastic reduction in U. S. peregrine populations, mainly because the pesticide, which is accumulated in the aquatic food chain, caused a thinning of the egg shell of the peregrines, which are at the top of the food chain. Normal nest activities, such as incubation and egg-turning, resulted in broken eggs and lower reproduction success.
Peregrines nest high on cliffs, usually near water.
An historic nest site on Morro Rock in Morro Bay, California is closely protected by local citizens and state and federal wildlife officials. Occasionally individuals are sighted in Kern County. This account prepared by Yolanda Justin, a CSUB Biology major, May, 1996.