They frequently leave the nest depression, walking as far as they can get a foothold. Their first flights occur when the chicks are about six weeks old. After several weeks of practice, the young birds have acquired the flight skills needed to catch their own food. They no longer rely on the adults to provide prey and, by late summer, have typically left the city in which they were reared. Little is known of their wanderings unless a fortunate observer is able to read the letters and numbers on their leg bands.
Peregrines feed almost entirely on birds, including sparrows, starlings, and pigeons.
Prey is caught in flight. Using its great speed, the falcon delivers a powerful blow to its prey with a half-closed foot. It retrieves the dead bird either in mid-air or after it falls to the ground. Biologists are frequently surprised by the variety of species brought to Ohio nests. Remains of meadowlarks, chimney swifts, and woodcock show that falcons find many different birds in their urban surroundings.