The peregrine falcon is a crow-sized bird with pointed wings, a narrow tail and a rapid wingbeat. Adults have slate-blue colored backs. The underparts are cream-colored with horizontal bars. This falcon has a black face pattern resembling sideburns.
Peregrines pursue their prey from a perch or while soaring.
The peregrine falcon has a nearly cosmopolitan distribution, breeding on almost every continent except Antarctica. The peregrine is a rare summer resident of the Black Hills and Slim Buttes, formerly breeding in South Dakota. This species is an uncommon statewide migrant in early spring and fall, with occasional sightings during the winter. The pesticide DDT and its breakdown products accumulated in small birds eaten by peregrines. DDT concentration in peregrines caused eggshell thinning and breakage.