Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) is a bird of prey, a member of the falcon family. Distributed, except for Antarctica, on all continents. The size of a bird with a crow. The plumage of the back is dark, slate-gray, the belly is light, the upper part of the head is black. A distinctive feature is the black "mustache". In accordance with the color and size of the body, about seventeen subspecies are distinguished.
This bird is considered the fastest in the world. The speed of the peregrine falcon during an attack can reach more than three hundred twenty kilometers per hour (90 meters per second). The bird, while hunting, plans in the sky or sits on a broom. Having noticed the prey, the peregrine falcon falcon rises above it and almost at a right angle dives rapidly down. With his paws, he hits the victim on a tangent. In some cases, he claws so hard that even a fairly large game can fly off his head.
As a rule, the peregrine falcon preys on medium-sized birds. These include pigeons, ducks, starlings, near-water and water representatives. In rare cases, small mammals can be objects.
At the age of two, puberty occurs in birds. Educated couples persist throughout life. A peregrine falcon, the nesting site of which can be found most often on the tops of ridges, on rocky cliffs, is considered a rare bird. In some cases, it nests on bogs of marshes or on stone structures, in particular, on roofs, belfries, ledges of high-rise buildings, on bridges and other structures.
After the end of World War II, the population began to decline significantly. To a greater extent, this was due to the economic use of pesticides (DDT and others), which negatively affected the development of embryos. Thanks to the ban on the use of pesticides in the 1970s, as well as after the introduction of environmental programs, the bird population began to recover in many countries of the world. Peregrine Falcon is included in the Russian Red Book as a small species. In addition, this species is included in CITES Appendix I, which prohibits the trade of these birds worldwide.
The body length of the peregrine falcon is from thirty-four to fifty centimeters. The wingspan ranges from eighty to one hundred and twenty centimeters. Like other predator birds, peregrine falcon females are significantly larger than males and weigh about 900-1500 grams. At the same time, males weigh from 440 to 750 grams. They have the same color.
In general, the peregrine falcon is characterized by a strong physique, which is typical for active birds of prey. His chest is wide enough with bulging and hard muscles. The fingers are strong enough with the nails steeply bent and sharp. The beak is short, bent by a sickle. At the end of the beak there are teeth with which the falcon bites the spine in the neck of the victim.
The ends of the wings are black. As a rule, the abdomen is light. In accordance with the habitat, it may have a grayish-white, reddish, pinkish or buffy hue. On the peregrine falcon's chest are drop-shaped streaks. The bird has a relatively long tail, narrow and rounded at the end. At the bottom, it is black with a small white stripe at the end. Like the "mustache", the upper part of the head is black, the lower part and throat are reddish or white. On the upper body there are fuzzy transverse stripes of dark color.
The eyes of the falcon are large, dark brown, convex, they are surrounded by a yellowish ring of bare skin.
The inner toe is much shorter than the outer toe, and the middle toe is longer than the pin.
Young individuals have a slightly less contrasting plumage. The upper part of the body is brown, the lower part is lighter. Young birds have more longitudinal streaks, while adults have more transverse streaks.