Peregrine Falcon

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Peregrine Falcon

Conservation status

Least Concern

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Falconiformes
Family:	Falconidae
Genus:	Falco
Species:	F. peregrinus

Binomial name

Falco peregrinus
Tunstall, 1771

The Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus), formerly known in North America sometimes as the Duck Hawk, is a medium-sized falcon about the size of a large crow: 380-530 millimetres (15-21 in) long. The English and scientific species names mean "wandering falcon", and refer to the fact that some populations are migratory. It has a wingspan of about 1 meter (40 in). Males weigh 570-710 grams; the noticeably larger females weigh 910-1190 grams.

The Peregrine Falcon is the fastest creature on the planet in its hunting dive, the stoop, in which it soars to a great height, then dives steeply at speeds in excess of 320 km/h (200mph) into either wing of its prey, so as not to harm itself on impact. The top speed recorded is 390 km/h (242.3 mph).

The fledglings practice the roll and the pumping of the wings before they master the actual stoop.

1 Range, habitat and subspecies
2 Behavior
3 Threats
- 3.1 Recovery efforts
4 Trivia
5 References
6 Peregrine Falcon webcams
7 External links

[edit] Range, habitat and subspecies

Peregrine Falcons live mostly along mountain ranges, river valleys, coastlines, and, increasingly, in cities. They are widespread throughout the entire world and are found in all of the continents except Antarctica.

There are many subspecies of Peregrine Falcons, including:

Falco peregrinus — the nominate mainly non-migratory race, which breeds over much of western Eurasia
F.p. anatum — is mostly found in the Rocky Mountains. Although it used to be common throughout eastern North America, and is currently being re-introduced in the region, it remains uncommon in much of its former range. Most mature anatums, except those that breed in more northern areas, winter in their breeding range. It is a rare vagrant to western Europe.
F. p. brookei — of southern Europe to the Caucasus is smaller and more rufous below that the nominate race.
F. p. calidus — breeds in the Arctic tundra of Eurasia and is completely migratory and travels as far as sub-Saharan Africa. It is larger and paler than the nominate race.
F. p. ernesti — is found in New Zealand and is non-migratory
F. p, macropus — is found in Australia and is non-migratory
F. p. madens — breeds in the Cape Verde Islands and has brown-washed upperparts.
F. p. minor — sparsely and patchily distributed throughout much of sub-Saharan Africa. Resident and widespread in Southern Africa.
F.p. pealei — or Peale's Falcon, is found in the Pacific Northwest of North America, and is non-migratory. Starting from the Puget Sound it dwells along the coast on cliffs and seastacks up the British Columbia coast (including the Queen Charlotte Islands) around the Gulf of Alaska all the way out the Aleutian Islands towards Russia. This subspecies is the largest in the world and preys mostly on Alcids and seaducks.
F. p. peregrinator — (also called the Shaheen Falcon) has rufous underparts and is a breeding resident in South Asia.
F. p. tundrius — breeds in the Arctic tundra of North America but is migratory and travels as far as South America.

The Barbary Falcon, Falco (peregrinus) pelegrinoides, is often considered to be a subspecies of the Peregrine.

Peregrines in mild-winter regions are usually permanent residents, and some birds, especially adult males, will remain on the breeding territory. However, the Arctic subspecies migrate; tundrius birds from Alaska, northern Canada and Greenland migrate to Central and South America, and all calidus birds from northern Eurasia move further south or to coasts in winter.

Australian Peregrine Falcons are non-migratory, and their breeding season is from July to November each year.

[edit] Behavior

Peregrine falcon chick

Peregrine Falcons feed almost exclusively on birds, such as doves, waterfowl and songbirds, but occasionally they hunt small mammals, including bats, rats, voles and rabbits. Insects and reptiles make up a relatively small proportion of their diet. On the other hand, a growing number of city-dwelling Falcons find that feral pigeons and Common Starlings provide plenty of food. Peregrine Falcons also eat their own chicks when starving.

Peregrine Falcons breed at approximately two or three years of age. They mate for life and return to the same nesting spot annually. Their courtship flight includes a mix of aerial acrobatics, precise spirals, and steep dives. The male passes prey it has caught to the female in midair. To make this possible, the female actually flies upside-down to receive the food from the male's talons. Females lay an average clutch of three or four eggs in a scrape, normally on cliff edges or, increasingly, on tall buildings or bridges. They occasionally nest in tree hollows or in the disused nest of other large birds.

The laying date varies according to locality, but is generally:

from February to March (in the Northern Hemisphere)
from July to August (in the Southern Hemisphere)

The females incubate the eggs for twenty-nine to thirty-two days at which point the eggs hatch. While the males also sometimes help with the incubation of the eggs, they only do so occasionally and for short periods.

Thirty-five to forty-two days after hatching, the chicks will fledge, but they tend to remain dependent on their parents for a further two months. The tiercel, or male, provides most of the food for himself, the female, and the chicks; the falcon, or female, stays and watches the young.

The average life span of a Peregrine Falcon is approximately eight to ten years, although some have been recorded to live until slightly more than twenty years of age.

[edit] Threats

The Peregrine Falcon became endangered because of the overuse of pesticides, during the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. Pesticide build-up interfered with reproduction, thinning eggshells and severely restricting the ability of birds to reproduce. The DDT buildup in the falcon's fat tissues would result in less calcium in the eggshells, leading to flimsier, more fragile eggs. In several parts of the world, this species was wiped out by pesticides.

Peregrine eggs and chicks are often targeted by thieves and collectors, so it is normal practice not to publicise unprotected nest locations.

[edit] Recovery efforts

This Peregrine Falcon was found injured and survived in Olomouc Zoological Garden, the Czech Republic. One of activities of the zoological garden is a programme of helping injured birds of prey.

Wildlife services around the world organized Peregrine Falcon recovery teams to breed them in captivity.

The birds were fed through a chute, so they could not see the human trainers. Then, when they were old enough, the box was opened. This allowed the bird to test its wings. As the bird got stronger, the food was reduced because the bird could hunt its own food. This procedure is called hacking back to the wild. To release a captive-bred falcon, the bird was placed in a special box at the top of a tower or cliff ledge.

Worldwide recovery efforts have been remarkably successful. The widespread banning of DDT eventually allowed released birds to breed successfully.

These structures typically closely resemble the natural cliff ledges that the species prefers for nesting locations. During daytime the falcons have been observed swooping down to catch common city birds such as pigeons and Common Starlings. In many cities, the Falcons have been credited with controlling the numbers of such birds, which have often become pests, without resort to more controversial methods such as poisoning or hunting.

Successful efforts at saving endangered species like the Peregrine were recognized by a U.S. postal stamp.

In Virginia, state officials working with students from the Center for Conservation Biology of the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg successfully established nesting boxes high atop the George P. Coleman Memorial Bridge on the York River, the Benjamin Harrison Memorial Bridge and Varina-Enon Bridge on the James River, and at other similar locations. Thirteen new chicks were hatched in this Virginia program during a recent year. Over 250 falcons have been released through the Virginia program.

In the 53-mile long New River Gorge of West Virginia, another program is underway to re-establish populations by transferring "bridge chicks" from Virginia, Maryland, and New Jersey to special nesting boxes mounted on the high cliffs. [1]. Chicago also started its habitat protection programs with a special recognition of Peregrine Falcon by making it the official bird of the city.[2]

The Peregrine Falcon was removed from the U.S. Threatened and Endangered Species list on August 25, 1999. In 2003, some states began issuing limited numbers of falconry permits for Peregrines, due to the success of the recovery program.

In the UK, there has been a good recovery of populations since the crash of the 1960s. This has been greatly assisted by conservation and protection work led by the RSPB. Peregrines now breed in many mountainous and coastal areas, especially in the west and north. They are also using some city buildings for nesting, capitalizing on the urban pigeon populations for food.

[edit] Trivia

The Mediterranean Peregrine Falcon, in this context known as the Maltese Falcon, was the annual rent required by Holy Roman Emperor Charles V when he donated the Island of Malta to the Knights Hospitaller in 1530.
The Peregrine Falcon appears on the left hand side of the Coat of arms of the Isle of Man. The Peregrine is used owing to the historical importance of the bird in the Isle of Man. When Henry IV of England gave the Isle of Man to Sir John Stanley he made the condition that Sir John give two Peregrine Falcons to him, and furthermore to every future monarch of England on his or her Coronation Day. This tradition was carried out up to the Coronation of George IV in 1821.
The Japanese word for Peregrine Falcon is Hayabusa, and has been applied to several items and characters in Japanese culture (See List).
The air pressure from the Peregrine's bullet-like attack plunge might burst an ordinary bird’s lungs. It’s thought that the series of baffles in a Peregrine’s nostrils slow the wind velocity, enabling the bird to breathe while diving [3]. This feature of the Perigrine's nostrils, once its use was found, was mimicked in fighter jets.
A Peregrine Falcon, Lucy, was filmed in the movie The Falcon and the Snowman.
A Peregrine Falcon will be prominently featured on the Idaho quarter to be issued in 2007 as part of the United States Mint's 50 State Quarters program. [4]
The Peregrine Falcon was declared Chicago's official city bird in 1999 after it began nesting on the city's skyscrapers.
Author Tom Clancy lives in a house named "Peregrine Cliff," as does his fictional hero Jack Ryan.
Robotic Peregrine Falcons have recently been placed in Liverpool city center in order to deter pigeons from congregating.

[edit] References

BirdLife International (2004). Falco peregrinus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 12 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
Tucker VA. Gliding flight: speed and acceleration of ideal falcons during diving and pull out. J. Exp. Biol. 201(Pt 3):403-14 (1998).

[edit] Peregrine Falcon webcams

[edit] Australia

FrodoCam Live Peregrine Falcon webcam located in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The webcam shows nesting pair, Frodo and his mate Frieda. The website can be accessed all year round, and there is continuous live cam coverage (both day and night) during the Australian breeding season (which lasts from July to November–December each year). There are also photo galleries and video footage from the 2006 breeding season, as well as from previous years, and also a "Frodocam Forum" page. The Australian Peregrine Falcon subspecies is Falco peregrinus macropus, and is non-migratory.

[edit] Canada

Peregrine Foundation live cams
Hamilton Nature Falcon Cam shows chicks in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Website also features galleries from previous years.

[edit] The Netherlands

[edit] Italy

Live Peregrine webcam at Bologna, Italy

[edit] United States

Utah Peregrine Falcon webcam - real time video of nesting Peregrine Falcons on the Joseph Smith Memorial Building in Salt Lake City Utah.
Woodmen of the World Peregrine Falcon Webcam Webcam for the falcon nest at the Woodmen Tower in downtown Omaha, NE.
Santa Cruz Predatory Bird Research Group
San Francisco Peregrine Falcon webcam - Peregrine Falcon webcam on 33rd floor of Pacific Gas and Electric Company building in San Francisco, a SCPBRG site
Pennsylvania Peregrine Falcon webcam - DEP Falcon Cam shows a nesting pair in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Ohio Peregrine Falcon webcam - Falcon Cam showing 16-year-old tiercel "Mercury" and his mate Snowball in Dayton Ohio
Rochester Falconcam Rochester Falconcam (formerly the Kodak Birdcam, now hosted by the Geneseee Valley Audubon Society) - Nesting site located at Eastman Kodak Company in Rochester, New York. Five camera views, photo galleries, nature journal, educational materials for educators and teachers. Tracking falcons Mariah and her mates since 1998
WPC Peregrine Recovery Program Webcams for the falcon nests at the Gulf Tower and Cathedral of Learning, Pittsburgh, PA.
Macomb County Peregrine webcam Webcams for the falcon nest at the Macomb County Building in Mount Clemens, MI.
Indianapolis Star Peregrine Webcam Webcams for the falcon nest at the Key Bank Building in downtown Indianapolis, IN.
Raptor Resource Project Eight falcon cams, an osprey cam, an owl cam, and an eagle cam. Also includes photo forum, video clips, educational materials, and links.
Boswell Energy Center Falconcam Webcam for the falcon nest at Minnesota Power's Boswell Energy Center near Cohasset, MN.

[edit] World cams

a listing of Bird cams from around the world - site includes direct links to nests with chicks

[edit] External links

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