Peregrine falcon

The peregrine falcon is a strong, speedy bird with a blue-grey back, a pale tummy with fine bars, and sharp, watchful eyes. It is famous for one amazing thing: it is the fastest animal in the whole world. When a peregrine folds its wings and dives from high in the sky, it can zoom faster than a car on a motorway, more than 320 kilometres an hour.

Peregrine falcons live almost everywhere on the planet, from cold mountains to sunny coasts. Their name “peregrine” means “wanderer,” because these birds often travel very long distances. Some peregrines have even made their homes in busy cities, where they perch on tall buildings and bridges just like they would on a rocky cliff.

These falcons are hunters of the sky, and they mostly catch other birds while flying. Pigeons, ducks, and small songbirds are all part of their meals, and they sometimes catch bats too. A peregrine likes to sit up high and watch, then swoop down fast to surprise its meal in the air.

Peregrine falcons build their nests, called scrapes, on high cliff ledges, and in cities they may use a windowsill or a special nest box on a skyscraper. The mother falcon is quite a bit bigger than the father. Both parents help look after their eggs and feed the fluffy chicks until the young are ready to fly.

Long ago, peregrine falcons were in trouble because a harmful chemical used on farms made their eggshells too thin to hatch. When people stopped using that chemical and helped raise young falcons, the birds slowly came back. Today there are peregrines soaring over cliffs and cities all around the world once again.