Peregrine Falcon

“The fastest animal on Earth, the peregrine falcon reaches speeds exceeding 320 km/h during its characteristic hunting stoop — a near-vertical dive toward prey.”

Speed is the peregrine's defining characteristic — the fastest animal on the planet when in its characteristic hunting dive. During a stoop, the falcon folds its wings tight against its body and plunges toward prey at speeds reliably measured beyond 300 km/h, and in one exceptional case, 389 km/h. Adaptations that enable this include specially shaped nostrils that redirect the force of onrushing air, nictitating membranes to protect the eyes, and a reinforced skull to withstand impact.

The peregrine's recovery from near-extinction in the 20th century is one of conservation's great success stories. DDT, an agricultural pesticide, caused widespread eggshell thinning and reproductive failure across North America and Europe. By the 1970s, the eastern North American population had been virtually extirpated. A concerted captive breeding and reintroduction program — combined with the ban of DDT — brought peregrines back from the brink, and they now breed again across their former range, including in cities where tall buildings substitute for cliff ledges.

Today, peregrines are found on every continent except Antarctica, making them one of the world's most widely distributed birds.

Gallery

Adult peregrine in hunting posture

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Vocalizations

Audio data from Xeno-canto · Quality grades A (excellent) — E (poor)