It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s…it’s…a bird? Actually it’s a Peregrine falcon. But when this racing raptor dives by at speeds of up to hundreds of kilometers an hour it’s easy to mistake it for something with a jet engine.
Falcons are master hunters and prey on other birds, and bats, in mid-flight. They hunt from above, and when they spot their prey, they drop into a steep, swift dive that can reach 320 km per hour! Factor in their extremely acute eyesight, even in dim light, and you’ve got one formidable hunter. A bite to the neck and that prey is toast.
Not only is it fast, but the Peregrine can travel extremely long distances during migration – flying up to as much as 500 km per day!
Did you know… the Peregrine falcon regularly returns to favourite nesting sites—one pair after another has used the same spot in England since 1243!
Range
There are only three places on Earth that the Peregrine falcon is not found: Antarctica, New Zealand, and Iceland. This globetrotter’s amazing powers of flight have enabled it to live across the world, from the Arctic to as far south as Tasmania and South Africa. Their round trips have been clocked in as long as 25,000 kilometres! In fact, their name actually means “wanderer.”
Threats
The Peregrine falcon is a species at risk in Canada
Peregrine falcon numbers dropped dangerously low between the 1950s and the 1970s. Certain pesticides used by farmers – including DDT – harmed the peregrines by causing their eggshells to be dangerously thin. They were so fragile that they broke when the parents tried to incubate them! That’s part of the reason DDT was banned in Canada in 1985.
Take Action!
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Join Bring Back the Wild and choose the Peregrine falcon as your animal to protect
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Grab a pair of binoculars and join in on the annual Canadian Christmas Bird Count
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Encourage your parents to get their lawn off drugs. Instead of pesticides, invite good bugs into your yard to feast on aphids and other unwelcome pests. Worms, ladybugs and spiders are all natural gardeners… make sure not to hurt them if you find them in your garden!
Earth Rangers is a non-profit organization that works to inspire and educate children about the environment. At EarthRangers.com kids can play games, discover amazing facts, meet animal ambassadors and fundraise to protect biodiversity.
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Coolest bird ever!
peregrine falcons are SO COOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE PEREGRINE FALCONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I HAVE 2 WISH’S.
1. I wish i had a peregrine falcon for a pet
2. I wish peregrine falcon were not endangered
that is it
Earth Rangers came to my school and they showed the peregrine falcon.
poor peregrine and soooooooooooooooooo cool
IF I HAD TO DESCRIBE HOW THE PEPOLE WHO ARE HARMING THE BIRDS IN ONE WORD IT WOULD BE “DESBICBLE”
Are there wolfs on the blog?
ER_pippy Reply:
June 7th, 2013 at 12:44 pm
Hi Crestal,
Here are some articles about wolves http://www.earthrangers.com/wildwire/risk/protecting-grey-wolves-round-two/ and this top ten list has some pretty cool dog species http://www.earthrangers.com/wildwire/top-10/top-ten-biggest-wild-dogs/