Peregrine Falcon, Life History, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology Halcón peregrino (Spanish) Cool Facts People have trained falcons for hunting for over a thousand years, and the Peregrine Falcon was always one of the most prized birds. Efforts to breed the Peregrine in captivity and reestablish populations depleted during the DDT years were greatly assisted by the existence of methods of handling captive falcons developed by falconers. The Peregrine Falcon is a very fast flier, averaging 40-55 km/h (25-34 mph) in traveling flight, and reaching speeds up to 112 km/h (69 mph) in direct pursuit of prey. During its spectacular hunting stoop from heights of over 1 km (0.62 mi), the peregrine may reach speeds of 320 km/h (200 mph) as it drops toward its prey. The Peregrine Falcon is one of the most widespread birds in the world. It is found on all continents except Antarctica, and on many oceanic islands.

The oldest recorded Peregrine Falcon was at least 19 years, 9 months old, when it was identified by its band in Minnesota in 2012, the same state where it had been banded in 1992. Habitat Mountains The word "peregrine" means "wanderer" or "pilgrim," and Peregrine Falcons occur all over the world. In North America they breed in open landscapes with cliffs (or skyscrapers) for nest sites. They can be found nesting at elevations up to about 12,000 feet, as well as along rivers and coastlines or in cities, where the local Rock Pigeon populations offer a reliable food supply. In migration and winter you can find Peregrine Falcons in nearly any open habitat, but with a greater likelihood along barrier islands, mudflats, coastlines, lake edges, and mountain chains. Food Birds Peregrine Falcons eat mostly birds, of an enormous variety—450 North American species have been documented as prey, and the number worldwide may be as many as 2,000 species.

They have been observed killing birds as large as a Sandhill Crane, as small as a hummingbird, and as elusive as a White-throated Swift. Typical prey include shorebirds, ptarmigan, ducks, grebes, gulls, storm-petrels, pigeons, and songbirds including jays, thrushes, longspurs, buntings, larks, waxwings, and starlings. Peregrine Falcons also eat substantial numbers of bats. They occasionally pirate prey, including fish and rodents, from other raptors. Behavior Aerial Dive Peregrine Falcons are very strong fliers and often reported to be the fastest bird in the world. Their average cruising flight speed is 24 to 33 mph, increasing to 67 mph when in pursuit of prey. When stooping, or dropping on prey with their wings closed, it's been calculated that Peregrine Falcons can achieve speeds of 238 mph. One researcher studied trained Peregrine Falcons while skydiving and described their body position while diving at 150 mph and 200 mph. When hunting, Peregrines start by watching from a high perch or by flapping slowly or soaring at great height.

Stoops begin 300–3,000 feet above their prey and end either by grabbing the prey or by striking it with the feet hard enough to stun or kill it. They then catch the bird and bite through the neck to kill it. Peregrine Falcons do have other hunting methods, including level pursuit, picking birds out of large flocks, and occasionally even hunting on the ground. Though the Peregrine Falcon is an elite predator, it does have its own predators, including Gyrfalcons, eagles, Great Horned owls, and other Peregrines. status via IUCN Least Concern The Peregrine Falcon has slowly been recovering after populations crashed in 1950-1970 because of DDT poisoning; at this time the eastern population was extirpated and it was declared an Endangered Species. But since 1966 populations appear to have stabilized according to the North American Breeding Bird Survey. Partners in Flight estimates the global breeding population to be 140,000 with 17% spending some part of the year in the U.S., 5% in Canada, and 5% in Mexico.

This U.S.-Canada Stewardship species rates a 9 out of 20 on the Continental Concern Score and is not on the 2014 State of the Birds Watch List . The Peregrine Falcon's recovery is due to pesticide bans and extensive efforts that were made to reestablish birds in East, beginning with the work of Tom Cade in 1970 at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, which eventually developed into The Peregrine Fund . The species recovered enough to be removed from the Endangered Species List in 1999. Back to Top Credits White, C. M., N. J. Clum, T. J. Cade, and W. G. Hunt. 2002. Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) . In The Birds of North America No. 660 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America Online, Ithaca, New York. North American Bird Conservation Initiative, U.S. Committee. 2014. State of the Birds 2014 Report . U.S. Department of Interior, Washington, DC.

Falcon Facts, Pictures, Habitat and Other Information Falcon Facts, Pictures, Habitat and Other Information By: M.Arslan | 26 , Feb 2013 | Birds Ask/Tell About This Bird Falcons are best known for their aggression and exceptional flying capabilities. Falcon bird is one of the fastest flying species on this planet. Talking about flying, they are lightning fast. They possess tempered wings that allow them to change their direction very quickly or abruptly. These super quick birds may reach speeds of up to 250 kilometers per hour! It is one of the interesting falcon bird facts that is that wguke = stooping or capturing pray, they get even faster, reaching a speed of up to 238mph! These elite predators possess stunning hunting skills. Falcons have a fantastic sense of sight that enables them to locate their prey from almost a mile away. They brutally dive at the prey, grab it and kill it instantly. This ruthless creature shows no mercy towards its prey. Just keep on reading the article so that you may find interesting falcon information. Falcon Habitat Migratory Falcons have this propensity of switching their habitats too frequently. They are free wanderers and are distributed all around the world.

These birds prefer high elevations and build their nests in urban habitats like landscapes or skyscrapers. Falcons nest in the safest available spots to make their kids and eggs least vulnerable to any external threat. Falcons are one of the most widespread birds in the world. They are found inhabiting every continent besides Antarctica and other oceanic islands. Falcon Diet Falcons consume birds of enormous varieties. A recent research states that around 450 different species of birds fall prey to falcons in North America and the number worldwide may be as many as 2,000 species. Their typical prey includes shorebirds, ducks, gulls, bats and pigeons among many others. Falcon Predators Despite their large size, aggression and ruthlessness, falcons have few natural predators and even fewer that are actually airborne. Among their major ground predators are humans and wolves. Airborne creatures like eagles and large owls have been known to hunt smaller species of falcons. Their eggs and chicks experience a constant threat of being eaten by other predators. Falcon Species Out of 39 falcon species, peregrine is the most commonly found and well known.

Peregrine falcons, the most common birds of prey, are found abundantly in Canada. Other famous species include Gyrfalcon, Lanner falcon, Merlin falcon and laughing falcon. Falcon's height and size depends primarily on the species. Typically, falcon may range in size from 25cm to 60 cm as you can see in falcon pictures. Falcon Threats Their population underwent serious decline due to the excessive use of pesticides, mainly DDT. These pesticides have deleterious effects on falcons and can lead to death or to eggshell thinning that results in reproductive failure. Their populations have observed an upward shift since the ban on the use of poisonous chemicals such as DDT. I wish and I pray that these birds make strong and immediate recovery. Conservation Status National and international organizations have ensured their contribution in protecting these falcons. DDT poising put it into the endangered birds list. Extensive efforts have been made to conserve these ironic birds of prey from illegal persecution. A few concerned authorities have even raised their voice for the peregrine falcon to be placed on a list of priority species.

The scenario may seem hapless, but a small effort on everyones part can create a huge difference! Aplomado Falcon (Falco femoralis) in Explore Raptors: Facts, habitat, diet | The Peregrine Fund How The Peregrine Fund is helping The Northern Aplomado Falcon was last seen in the American Southwest in the 1950s, leaving its niche in the grassland ecosystem unfilled for decades. The Peregrine Fund began experimenting with breeding captive Aplomado Falcons and releasing them to the wild in the 1980s. Aplomado Falcon chicks that were produced at our World Center for Birds of Prey in Idaho were transported to Texas and New Mexico for release. The young birds are released to the wild using a method called “hacking,” a falconry term for a process that allows birds of prey to become accustomed to their surroundings naturally right before they are ready to fly. Typically, the hack site consists of a platform on a pole or other tall structure and a box that protects the youngsters from predators.

Biologists will feed the young birds for the week or so that they remain inside the hack box, then it is time to open the door and let the falcons go free. This is a tough time for the young birds as they learn to fly and avoid predators. A field crew will continue to provide the falcons with food and monitor them daily to ensure their safety. It is during this time that the young birds also learn how to hunt. After only a month or two, the falcons will become independent and disperse, or move away from, the hack site. More than 1,500 chicks have been released to the wild. As a result, there is now once again a breeding population in the United States. Apart from the captive breeding and release efforts, The Peregrine Fund has sought creative solutions to problems associated with the restoration of this species. In South Texas, biologists place artificial nest structures in Aplomado Falcon habitat. The specially adapted structures have protective bars across the open front that allow the falcons in but keep nest predators, like caracaras or raccoons, out.

They have proven to be popular among the falcons, with most pairs choosing to nest in one of these structures rather than a bush, tree, or power pole. Biologists work hard every year to replace old nest structures and put up new ones wherever an Aplomado Falcon pair is found. Where they live Aplomado Falcons were once found in the southwestern United States including Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, into Central and South America all the way to Chile and Tierra Del Fuego at the southern tip of Argentina. Not too long ago, however, these agile, colorful falcons disappeared from much of their North American range. After 1952, there were no known Aplomado Falcons nesting in the United States – until The Peregrine Fund began reintroducing them into parts of their North American range in the early 1990s. As a result, there is once again a breeding population of Aplomado Falcons in southern Texas. Aplomado Falcons are adapted to living in open habitats where songbirds and insects abound and where shrubs or trees, including tree yuccas like Spanish Dagger and Soaptree Yucca, are present for nesting.

Prime real estate for an Aplomado Falcon includes grasslands, savannas, pastures, and shrub-steppe. If you are familiar with the landscapes of Central and South America, you know that much of the habitat there is composed of dense neotropical forest, leaving you to wonder what a grassland species is doing in thick forest. After all, it is not the best place for an Aplomado Falcon to survive. The answer is that in these regions, this small raptor is found only in select pockets of open habitat where it can sometimes be seen flying swiftly across pastures or perched on fence posts and telephone poles. Aplomado Falcons have been found living at elevations as high as 12,000 feet in the Andes Mountains from Colombia to Argentina. What they do With their black-and-white-striped heads, orange underbelly and lead-colored backs, Aplomado Falcons are among the most beautiful and unique-looking falcons in the world. They are also some of the most fun to watch. These pointy-winged, long-tailed falcons are incredible fliers and watching one chase after prey or dive after an intruder is a sight to see.

Like many baby animals, young Aplomado Falcons can by very playful. In the first weeks after they fledge from the nest, the young falcons play “tag” together, twisting, turning and diving after each other through the air. They sometimes play with sticks or yucca branches, which they carry around in their talons for a while. The youngsters then drop the sticks or take them to a spot where they can use their beaks and feet to break them apart. They also begin to chase after other birds, including ones much bigger than they are. All of this play helps make them well-practiced hunters and fliers so that by the time they are ready to leave their parents’ territory, they have the skills they need to survive on their own. As it is for all predators, life for adult Aplomado Falcons can be very challenging. They can no longer afford to spend as much time playing or flying around but must put their energy into finding and catching food, which isn’t always easy. Though they are adept hunters, their prey is small, fast and agile. An Aplomado Falcon must carefully calculate each hunt to make sure that the energy it spends actively pursuing prey is recuperated once it catches a meal.

Think of it is as if you were on a long road trip and your car had only enough gas in the tank to reach the next gas station. If you took too many side trips just for the fun of it, you would run out of fuel and be stranded! If a predator runs out of energy before it gets food to replenish it, the consequences are much worse. Aplomado Falcons are not migratory and spend most of the year on their territory. When not actively hunting, they perch on fence posts, in trees, or along power poles, taking in their surroundings. During nesting season, Aplomado Falcons are quick to defend their territory against any intruders. They fly quickly after hawks, kites, vultures, or any other animal that poses a threat to their nest and young. They often stoop, or dive at the intruders, who are usually much bigger than they are! But this doesn’t stop the falcons from screaming loudly at intruders with a sharp cack, cack, cack and sometimes knocking them on the back of the head. The birds will continue this behavior until the offending animal is far enough away that it no longer poses a threat to the falcons’ young.

Why they need our help The Northern Aplomado Falcon was once part of a dynamic wildlife community in the southwestern United States and in Mexico. Common in the early 1900s, the species disappeared from the American Southwest by 1930 as people converted wide-open grasslands – the birds’ habitat – to farms, towns, and other uses. The last known breeding pair in the United States was observed near Deming, New Mexico in 1952. Though the Aplomado Falcon is making a comeback in southern Texas, many of its northern populations are still suffering. In Chihuahua, Mexico, a once-vibrant population is now down to only a handful of pairs. Their native grasslands are being converted into farmlands and they are losing nesting habitat and songbirds to feed on. Droughts don't help matters, either, and the falcons are having a hard time surviving in the ever-changing habitat of a modern world. They need our support now more than ever. What they eat Aplomado Falcons, like most falcons, are bird hunters, but they are good at hunting a variety of other animals, too, including bats and insects such as dragonflies and butterflies.

Some of the Aplomado Falcons that The Peregrine Fund has released have been observed eating land crabs and rodents. Aplomado Falcons are equipped with sharply pointed wings and an extra-long tail, which help them maneuver deftly after smaller, flying prey. They also use a host of techniques to secure their dinner. A pair or family group will often hunt together, each one taking turns to flush out prey from its hiding spot. A biologist unwittingly participated in this "group hunt" as she was studying a pair of falcons on Matagorda Island, Texas. As she approached a pair of Aplomado Falcons perched nearby, she accidentally flushed up a meadowlark that had been perched on the ground. When the meadowlark flew up, both Aplomado Falcons immediately keyed in on the small bird, chased after it, and caught it. After catching their prey, the falcons usually carry it off to a perch or fence post and pluck the feathers or fur from it before beginning to eat. Aplomado Falcons are also known to pirate food from other, larger birds.

If they see another raptor carrying prey, they will chase after it, dive bomb it, and generally harass it until it drops its prey. The Aplomado Falcon can then deftly catch it from the sky! Though perhaps this method is easier than catching one's own food, it seems like a lot of work. Nest, eggs and young At the beginning of breeding season, the male and female begin to court each other. Courtship behavior may include spectacular aerial displays, loud calls and quiet “e-chups” to each other, and food exchanges, among other behaviors. Like most falcons, Aplomado Falcons do not build their own nests. They use abandoned nests built by other birds such as ravens, jays, and kites. Aplomado Falcons can be found nesting at the tops of power poles and in trees, yuccas, and low bushes or even on the ground. They normally lay one to three eggs. Both the male and the female will incubate, or sit on, the eggs, though the female does most of it. The male is in charge of finding food for himself and his mate. After about five weeks, young chicks will hatch from these eggs.

The rate at which these birds grow during the 40-day period from hatching to fledging never fails to impress. Chicks weigh about an ounce when they emerge from their shells, yet they will be full-grown when they leave the nest. By the time they fledge, these little fluff balls will be 12 inches tall and have a wingspan of up to 3 feet! Male falcons will grow up to be smaller than females, weighing about 8 ounces at fledging. Females will weigh about 13 ounces. The males’ small size means they will develop faster and often leave the nest sooner than their bigger sisters. The young falcons tend to stay in their parents’ territory for one to two months. It is a relatively easy time for them, with their parents bringing them food and defending them against predators, but they still face many risks. As they learn to hunt, they sometimes accidentally crash into fences or are hit by cars. If they spend too much time on the ground, they are vulnerable to predators, such as bobcats and coyotes. Even up in a tree, they might fall prey to snakes.

When flying, they are vulnerable to capture by Red-tailed Hawks, Great Horned Owls, and other birds of prey. If a young falcon can survive the first year of its life, chances are good that it will be able to survive into adulthood and raise young of its own. Aplomado Falcons are usually able to reproduce at 2 years of age, though some records exist of 1-year-old falcons successfully raising young. Idaho Connection Though Aplomado Falcon range does not extend into Idaho, this state is important for this species. The Peregrine Fund's captive breeding program for this species is located in Boise and is home to 25 pairs of Aplomado Falcons. Here, pairs are held in individual chambers, where they are fed daily. They are intensively observed via video monitors and their actions, such as courtship displays and food exchanges, are recorded. Biologists also look for any signs of ill health, injuries, or behavior problems. Each year, depending upon numbers required at release sites, 50-135 chicks are produced annually and most are released back into the wild in Texas or New Mexico. Sometimes biologists transport the chicks in vehicles all the way from Idaho to the release site.

At other times, thanks to the generous support of LightHawk, the falcons are flown down to the release site in small private airplanes. This quicker trip is easier on both the birds and the biologists. falcon facts FALCON FACTS Peregrines adapt to their environment and live on every continent except Antarctica. They can live in the mountains, deserts, forests, on sea cliffs, in cities and large urban areas. They mate for life and return to the same nesting site every year. They are known to substituted tall sky scrapers in downtown urban areas for nesting sites on cliffs. A bit of trivia: While several states have adopted the cardinal, mocking bird, chickadee, and bluebird, no state has a falcon as its state bird. GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS Falcon's scientific name comes from the Latin word, "Falco Peregrinus" which means wandering falcon, traveler, or foreigner. There are 39 species of falcon - the Peregrine is one of five commonly found in Canada. There are 3 subspecies of Peregrines ~ American, Artic and Peale's. 5 types of falcons live in the U.S.

~ gyrfalcon, peregrine, merlin, American kestrel, and prairie falcon Peregrines are the most well known of the falcons. Some like to migrate south to Latin America in the winter. They can migrate as far as 10,000 miles ~ farther than other birds. Peregrines can live up to 17 years. The female is called a falcon, the male is called a tiercel. They vary in size depending on where they live ~ the biggest are in Alaska. Their wings are thin and pointed, and span about 40 inches. Slim birds with a small head. The male is about 1/3 the size of the female. Their bodies average 15 - 21 inches long and weigh about 2 pounds. The female will weigh about 10.6 ounces more than the male. Adult Peregrines have blue-gray wings, backs, and heads, with white undersides marked with black bars going across the chest. There faces are white under their chin. They have large, dark eyes and very sharp beaks and yellow talons (feet).

Peregrines make a "kek-kek-kek" noise, especially when angry or aggressive. They have very good eye sight ~ they can spot a meal up to a mile away. They are raptors (Latin meaning "to seize") - birds of prey / carnivores - and eat other birds ~ sparrows, starlings, gulls, ducks, and their favorite, pigeons. In fact, during WWII they were often shot in England to keep them from eating the pigeons that were carrying important messages to the forces. Falcons are the swiftest birds of prey and are very muscular. In level flight the travel about 50 kilometers (31 miles) an hour. In a dive, called a "stoop" they reach speeds over 300 kilometers (186.33 miles) an hour! They have a unique way of hunting for food ~ they dive at their prey so fast that they overtake it by surprise, catching it in mid-air, and the speed kills the prey instantly. They are diurnal - they hunt during the day. The capture takes less than 2 minutes!

An adult eats about 70 grams (2 1/4 oz.) of food a day ~ that equals about 2 blackbirds. In the city it has been observed that falcons don't like to land on the ground ~ even if their meal falls to the ground, they won't go get it. In fact, they don't usually fly lower than the level of their nest. They are at the top of the food chain, so adult peregrines have no natural predators. They do however, face many threats from humans ~ use of pesticides, altering of landscape and habitats, egg collecting, hunting, and taking of the young for falconry. Baby falcons (eyases) are a tasty meal for owls, racoons, and mountail cats. NESTING / EGGS / HATCHING Their range is about 30 miles with their nest in the center of their range. They do not like other falcons within 3 miles of their nest site. Their favorite spot for a nest is on the edge of a cliff. Their nesting ledge is called an "aerie". They don't use a lot of nesting material.

Peregrines prepare a saucer shaped indentation in lose soil, sand, or grass called "scrape". The tiercel (male) arrives at the nesting site and begins a lot of fancy aerial displays to attract his mate in early Spring. Sometimes the male will select several locations for a nest and the female makes the final decision. The female is the boss of the house, and the male is cautious around her. Peregrines are ready to start a family when they are about 2 years old. Falcons lay 3 - 5 eggs, 2 to 3 days apart. The group of eggs are called a "clutch". Eggs range from soft pink to reddish brown and are slightly larger than a chicken egg - about the size of a duck egg. The male and female share the responsibility of sitting on (incubating) the eggs. The eggs need to stay at a constant warm temperature and dry, or the embryo will not survive. If the air temperature is warm, the parents will leave the eggs briefly to hunt. The eggs also need to be turned, which we've observed occurs as the birds shift around on the nest.

There are times that it looks like the birds are actually rolling the eggs with their mouth or feet. The length of incubation is 33 days from the time "active" incubation starts. "Pipping" the shell is when the "eyases" (babies) begin to hatch out. They do this from the inside with an "egg tooth" (a tiny sharp point) on the end of their beak. The egg tooth disappears almost immediately. This process can take up to 2 days! BABIES Eyases weigh 1 1/2 ounce when first hatched. Newly hatched, they are wet and covered with a white fuzz called "down". By 3 - 5 weeks the fuzz has been replaced by brown feathers. Males develop faster than females, females are larger and more powerful when fully grown. In 3 weeks they are 10 times their birth weight; in 6 weeks they are full grown; and at 9 - 12 weeks they begin to hunt and care for themselves. Their first prey is small game ~ dragonflies and butterflies. The first few days of learning to fly is dangerous to the young falcons, especially in urban areas.

Wind changes can slam the birds into the ground and mirrored or illuminated windows are another hazard. Unfortunately statistics are not on their side, only one out of two manage to survive the first year. REASONS FOR ENDANGERED STATUS Use of the pesticide DDT (Dichloro-Diphenyl-Tricholor-Ethane) was the primary cause for the Peregrine population to begin to decline and be placed on the endangered list in the early 1970s depending on the state. Peregrines ate birds that had eaten seeds that had been soaked in the pesticide. This caused the Peregrine to stop laying eggs, or lay eggs with very this shells. When the birds tried to incubated the eggs, the shells were so thin they broke. Pesticide residues become more concentrated as they work their way up the food chain (called "bioaccumulation") and can stay in the environment for years. When DDT was banned from use in the US the Peregrine Falcon's population began to rise again. The use of pesticides is controlled in Canada and the U.S., but not in Latin America where some of the birds go for the winter. In Canada and the U.S.

it is illegal to kill or disturb Peregrine Falcons in their nests. Peregrine Falcons were removed from the federal endangered species list in August of 1999, however the falcon population is being closely monitored by state wildlife departments especially in Ohio and California. Several agencies bred peregrines in captivity and release the young by "hacking". Birds that are about a month old are placed in a hack box that has been placed on a cliff or ledge of a building. Food is fed to them through a tube so they do not see the human. Once they can fly and hunt on their own (several weeks later), the box is left open for them to leave. Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) in Explore Raptors: Facts, habitat, diet | The Peregrine Fund During the spring, you can watch live video from a Peregrine Falcon nest in downtown Boise, Idaho at peregrinefund.org/falconcam . The Peregrine Falcon is famous for its fast flying. Biologists have clocked it diving at speeds of over 200 mph. That’s about as fast as a race car goes!

These falcons have adapted well to life in large cities, where they feed on birds like pigeons and starlings, and nest on the ledges of tall buildings. Like many raptors, Peregrine Falcon females are larger than the males. The Peregrine Falcon was removed from the Endangered Species list in 1999, thanks to efforts by The Peregrine Fund and many other organizations and individuals. How The Peregrine Fund is helping In the mid-1900s, the pesticide DDT was having a devastating effect on many bird species and other wildlife across North America. The Peregrine Falcon was no exception. By the 1960s, Peregrine Falcons were gone from the eastern United States and large portions of the western states due to the effects of this pesticide. At the time, DDT was being sprayed in agricultural fields, marshes, and other landscapes as a means to control insect infestations. When small birds ate insects contaminated by this pesticide, some of this chemical remained in their bodies. The more contaminated insects they ate, the more they themselves became contaminated.

When Peregrine Falcons, in turn, ate these small birds, DDT accumulated in the falcons’ systems as well, but at an even higher rate. This affected the female falcons’ ability to lay healthy eggs. Their eggs lacked calcium, which meant they were thin-shelled and weak. They all broke before hatching, usually when the parents sat on them to keep them warm during incubation. When an eggshell cracks or is broken, the young bird developing inside cannot survive. Without young falcons being born, the population was in trouble. In 1972, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency banned the use of DDT, which made recovery of the species possible. The Peregrine Fund, which was founded in 1970 to save the Peregrine Falcon, pioneered many techniques for successfully breeding the birds in captivity and releasing them into the wild. Special chambers were built to house breeding pairs. Here, the adults received good care and were given healthy food and vitamins, which helped them produce healthy young. Though many people didn’t think it could be done, The Peregrine Fund and other organizations worked together to raise thousands of Peregrine Falcons in captivity.

About a month after hatching, young bird were ready to be released. Biologists worked hard, climbing cliffs and constructing release sites, to place young falcons into the wild. Through captive breeding and release, these falcons were restored to their historic range throughout the United States. When all was said and done, more than 4,000 young birds had been released. All that hard work paid off. In 1999, the Peregrine Falcon was removed from the U.S. Endangered Species List! Today, it is still one of the most successfully recovered endangered species ever. Where they live From Morocco to Malaysia, Greenland to Greece, Australia to Argentina, and India to Iraq, Peregrine Falcons live and breed on every continent in the world except Antarctica. They are strong, efficient flyers and skilled at catching a variety of prey from small songbirds to large ducks. This versatility allows them to live in almost any type of climate and habitat – and they do! Deserts, seashores, mangroves, wetlands, tundra, grasslands, dry forests, scrubland, and craggy mountains are places one might find a Peregrine Falcon.

The most common factor among these different locations is the presence of good nesting habitat. These falcons like to nest in high cliffs, but in cities, Peregrine Falcons use tall buildings or bridges instead. In the spring, a webcam monitors the daily life of a falcon family nesting on the ledge of a tall building in downtown Boise, Idaho. What they do Among the most impressive birds to watch hunt, Peregrine Falcons are known for their high speeds, impressive aerial acrobatics, and unmistakable grace. But Peregrine Falcons not only fly fast, some populations fly incredibly long distances, too. In the northern part of their range, Peregrine Falcons are migratory, which means they travel from their breeding grounds to non-breeding grounds and back every year. Some of these individuals travel from the Arctic nearly to Antarctica, making a yearly round trip journey of more than 20,000 miles. That would be like crossing the entire United States seven times in one year! Peregrine Falcons that live closer to the equator tend not to migrate.

This makes sense if you think about one definition of migration: the seasonal movement from one area to another for the purpose of finding food or to reproduce, usually triggered by a change in the weather. Since temperatures along the equator are not as extreme as in the northern and southern regions of the world, there tends to be more year-round prey. With more available prey, there is no reason for a Peregrine Falcon to leave its home. Even when they are raising young, the tropical regions of the world usually provide them with enough food to raise a healthy family. Perhaps because of their amazing flying and hunting skills, Peregrine Falcons have had cultural significance for humans throughout history. To this day, they are still one of the most popular birds in the sport of falconry, and in ancient times they were considered the birds of royalty. Today, Peregrine Falcons that are trained as falconry birds are sometimes flown by their trainers at airports to scare off ducks and other birds that could collide with a plane and cause accidents. These falcons are helping to keep our skies safe! The Peregrine Falcon also appears on the U.S. Idaho state quarter.

Why they need our help In the 1970s, when Peregrine Falcons began to disappear, scientists wanted to understand why. This led them to discover the environmental dangers of DDT, not just for birds but for other wildlife and humans as well. By studying Peregrine Falcons, we continue to learn more about long-term effects from other environmental contaminants. To this day, Peregrine Fund biologists are studying Peregrine Falcon populations in the United States. Part of this work takes them to South Padre Island, Texas, to measure the effects of the large oil spill that occurred in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. There they capture falcons using specially designed traps and bait. After the falcons are captured, biologists place a band on each bird’s leg and draw a small amount of blood to be tested and evaluated for signs of oil exposure. By comparing these blood samples with samples collected before the oil spill, biologists will be able to detect changes in amounts and composition of pollutants. Because Peregrine Falcons are part of a fragile, complicated food web, scientists will be able to tell whether the oil spill is having long-term effects on a variety of wildlife.

Learning about how these issues affect Peregrine Falcons can tell us how wildlife and humans may be affected as well. As in the case of DDT, this information can help stop the use of dangerous contaminants – good news for all of us. What they eat Peregrine Falcons are mainly bird hunters; starlings, pigeons, blackbirds, jays, shorebirds, and waterfowl are all fair game for a hungry Peregrine Falcon. They also occasionally hunt mammals, reptiles, and insects and there have even been reports of some Peregrine Falcons specializing in eating bats. A hunting Peregrine Falcon uses many strategies for catching a good meal but they typically catch their prey in the air with fast pursuits, rapid dives, and other impressive aerial maneuvers for which these falcons are known and admired. Perhaps its most famous hunting technique is the dive. To pull this off, a Peregrine Falcon flies high into the sky, using its keen eyesight to locate birds flying below. When it finds its target, the falcon folds its wings and falls into a nose dive, or stoop, gaining speeds over 200 mph. The falcon closes its feet, and uses them to knock the prey out of the sky.

When not stooping after its prey, Peregrine Falcons go after their quarry in a swift aerial chase, flapping their wings furiously in hot pursuit of a meal. Though it cannot move as fast as when in a nose dive, a Peregrine Falcon, in horizontal flight, can still rival a cheetah for speed! Peregrine Falcons also may hunt from the vantage point of an exposed perch – once again using their eyesight to pick out an easy meal. At sea, Peregrine Falcons use ships, which provide high perches, to hunt for seabirds. Peregrine Falcons will sometimes dismember their prey and eat it in flight, or they will land with their prey in a safe spot, pluck the feathers, and eat. Pairs sometimes hunt together to flush, chase, and catch their prey. Nest, eggs and young When Peregrine Falcons are 1-3 years of age, they are able to start reproducing, or having young. When looking for a mate, male Peregrine Falcons, like many other birds, must work hard to impress the females. To keep her attention, males bring females food during the courting and nesting season.

She frequently takes the prey from him while they are both in flight by turning upside down in mid-air and grabbing the food out of his talons! Like most falcons, Peregrine Falcons do not build their own nests. They lay their eggs in scrapes, or small depressions, they make in the soil or gravel of a cliff ledge. Sometimes, they use abandoned stick nests that had been built in trees by other species. Today, more and more Peregrine Falcons are making their homes in cities. There, they nest on ledges of tall buildings and bridges. The female lays three or four eggs, sometimes five, which are incubated for about 34 days. Though the male does help incubate, or sit on the eggs to keep them at just the right temperature, the female does the majority of the incubating. She relies on the male to bring her food. After the chicks hatch and as they are growing, both the male and female provide food for the young. To feed their chicks, the adult falcon uses its beak to rip up small pieces of meat and delicately pass them to the nestlings. The young falcons grow up quickly.

When they hatch, they are covered with fluffy white down and have very large feet in proportion to their bodies! But in just 5-6 weeks, the falcons are fully feathered and ready to fly. Even their feet, though still large, look just right for their bodies. After the young falcons fledge, or fly for the first time, they still stay with their parents for a few months before leaving the adults’ territory. These few months are spent learning to hunt and to survive on their own. During the entire nesting season, the adult Peregrine Falcons are very territorial. They dive and chase after almost anything that comes close to their young, including birds and other raptors much bigger than they are! They often emit loud cacking sounds as they dive after, and sometimes hit, any intruders that dare to enter their territory. Idaho Connection Though making an extraordinary comeback after the banning of DDT and conservation actions by many organizations and individuals, the Peregrine Falcon is still not very common in Idaho. According to the Idaho Fish and Game Department, fewer than 30 historic nesting sites for these species were ever identified.

Despite the fact that a pair is nesting on a tall building in downtown Boise , populations within Idaho are found mostly in the central and eastern portion of the state. Gyrfalcon, Life History, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology 800–2100 g Relative Size Males are slightly larger than a Peregrine Falcon; females are about the size of a Red-tailed Hawk. Other Names Halcón gerifalte (Spanish) Cool Facts The Gyrfalcon hunts mostly ptarmigan, and its breeding distribution is strikingly similar to that of the Rock Ptarmigan. But it preys on many other bird species, including sage-grouse, jaegers, gulls, terns, fulmars, auks, pheasants, hawks, owls, ravens, and songbirds. It can also hunt mammals as big as hares. When their chicks are too small to eat an entire prey item in one meal, female Gyrfalcons store leftovers behind vegetation within a few hundred feet of the nest, and retrieve the food later for themselves or their chicks.

Little is known of food-caching outside the breeding season; in one case, a Gyrfalcon was seen retrieving a frozen ptarmigan and chipping off pieces of meat to eat, in mid-winter in the Aleutian Islands. During the breeding season, a family of Gyrfalcons needs an estimated 2–3 pounds of food per day. That’s about 2-3 ptarmigans per day, which adds up to about 150-200 ptarmigan consumed between courtship and fledging. Gyrfalcon is pronounced as "JER-falcon." The name probably evolved from Old Norse, but linguists do not completely agree on the specific origin of the word. Male Gyrfalcons are commonly seen capturing fledgling songbirds in the area around the nest. They probably seek small prey only when it can be obtained quickly, since larger prey provides a bigger payoff for their efforts. Adult males are much smaller than females: males average less than 3 pounds while females average up to 4 pounds. Both males and females have highly variable plumage coloration, ranging from nearly pure white to dark gray-brown. In North America, most are an intermediate gray color.

The oldest Gyrfalcon on record, a male, was at least 14 years, 8 months old when he was recaptured and released at a banding station in Wisconsin in 2015. Habitat Mountains The Gyrfalcon breeds in arctic and alpine tundra in northern Canada and Alaska, in areas with abundant ptarmigan or near colonies of nesting seabirds or waterfowl. Habitats include rocky seacoasts, offshore islands, barren lands with rocky outcrops, river bluffs, lake bluffs, and mountainous terrain up to more than 5,000 feet in elevation. The low vegetation in their habitat includes species of sedge, cottongrass, lichen, moss, willow, and birch. They sometimes venture into margins of boreal forest or small stands of spruce along beaches or dunes. In winter they probably vacate the highest latitudes and elevations, and may range as far south as the northern United States. There they are usually found in open areas below 3,000 feet in elevation with abundant birds for prey, including coasts, reservoirs, farmland, grasslands, shrublands, and river valleys.

Food Birds Gyrfalcons rely heavily on Willow Ptarmigan and Rock Ptarmigan but also hunt other birds, including seabirds, waterfowl, shorebirds and songbirds. They have been known to capture sage-grouse, jaegers, gulls, terns, fulmars, alcids, pheasants, hawks, owls, falcons, ravens, crows, magpies, redpolls, Savannah Sparrows, Lapland Longspurs, and Snow Buntings. They may also hunt mammals such as hares, ground squirrels, lemmings, and young arctic fox. The Gyrfalcon spots prey from a high perch or on the wing. It makes most of its captures by striking prey and driving it to the ground rather than grasping it in the air; the prey usually ends up with a broken breastbone. The Gyrfalcon may fly low and sneak up on its victims, chase prey over a long distance to tire it out, or hover and dive. Females often cache food temporarily during the breeding season, storing it behind vegetation within several hundred feet of the nest site.

Behavior Aerial Dive Gyrfalcons usually spend the whole year alone or in pairs, and they appear to mate for life. The male performs spectacular aerial displays with dives and rolls. Around the pair’s cliffside nest they defend a territory nearly a mile wide, usually spaced between 3 and 60 miles from the nearest pair. They call aggressively to maintain the territory, and both the male and female may chase and strike at intruders—including Common Ravens, Rough-legged Hawks, and Peregrine Falcons—during breeding or nonbreeding season. They may also lock talons with intruders; sometimes two combatants strike the ground still locked together. Gyrfalcons may be mobbed by small songbirds. They are capable of very fast flight, and may reach speeds of 130 miles per hour when stooping for prey. They sometimes run or hop onto rocks to chase prey. status via IUCN Least Concern Gyrfalcons show no evidence of long-term population changes in North America. Partners in Flight estimates the global breeding population at 70,000 individuals, with 43% spending part of the year in Canada, and 11% ranging into the U.S. during the winter.

This is a U.S.-Canada Stewardship species and rates an 8 out of 20 on the Continental Concern Score. The species is not on the 2014 State of the Birds Watch List , and are not being actively managed. However, there has been controversy about the effect of their use in falconry in other parts of the world. Declines in Scandinavia and the vicinity have been attributed to falconry, habitat modification, and egg collection. Other threats include shooting in Iceland and accidental capture by ptarmigan traps or fox traps in Russia. The remote breeding range of North American Gyrfalcons has kept them safe from such threats, though human disturbance does sometimes deter them from returning to nest sites in later years. The most significant current threat is climate change, which has begun to transform the landscape within their range. Back to Top Credits Booms, T.L., T.J. Cade, and N.J. Clum. 2008. Gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus) . In The Birds of North America Online, No. 114 (A. Poole, Ed.). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Crossley, R., J.

Ligouri, and B. Sullivan. 2013. The Crossley ID Guide: Raptors. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ. North American Bird Conservation Initiative, U.S. Committee. 2014. State of the Birds 2014 Report . U.S. Department of Interior, Washington, DC. View dynamic map of eBird sightings Migration Resident to medium-distance migrant. Most Gyrfalcons that breed below 70 degrees latitude are probably year-round residents. Those that breed farther north migrate south for the winter. Find This Bird Because Gyrfalcons breed so far north, most people encounter them as rarities spotted during winter in the northernmost U.S. and southern Canada. In these areas the birds look for tundra-like habitat including plains, open agricultural land, and coastlines. Peregrine Falcons can look very similar, so be sure to look for the Gyrfalcons bulky body and relatively thick, blunt-tipped wings. Gyrfalcons are used to perching on the ground, so don’t just search the skies—be sure to scan open stretches of ground, where they may be standing at rest or sheltering next to a rock or shrub.

Question: The falcon’s dive from a height onto its prey is known as a what?
Answer: stoop