peregrine falcon

The peregrine falcon has a body length of 34 to 58 cm (13–23 in) and a wingspan from 74 to 120 cm (29–47 in). The male and female have similar markings and plumage, but as in many birds of prey the peregrine falcon displays marked sexual dimorphism in size, with the female measuring up to 30% larger than the male. Males weigh 330 to 1,000 g (0.73–2.20 lb) and the noticeably larger females weigh 700 to 1,500 g (1.5–3.3 lb). In most subspecies, males weigh less than 700 g (1.5 lb) and females weigh more than 800 g (1.8 lb), with cases of females weighing about 50% more than their male breeding mates not uncommon. The standard linear measurements of peregrines are: the wing chord measures 26.5 to 39 cm (10.4–15.4 in), the tail measures 13 to 19 cm (5.1–7.5 in) and the tarsus measures 4.5 to 5.6 cm (1.8–2.2 in). The back and the long pointed wings of the adult are usually bluish black to slate grey with indistinct darker barring (see "Subspecies" below) the wingtips are black. The white to rusty underparts are barred with thin clean bands of dark brown or black. The tail, coloured like the back but with thin clean bars, is long, narrow, and rounded at the end with a black tip and a white band at the very end. The top of the head and a "moustache" along the cheeks are black, contrasting sharply with the pale sides of the neck and white throat. The cere is yellow, as are the feet, and the beak and claws are black. The upper beak is notched near the tip, an adaptation which enables falcons to kill prey by severing the spinal column at the neck. The immature bird is much browner with streaked, rather than barred, underparts, and has a pale bluish cere

Bold falcon, highly skilful in flight. Purses flying prey rapidly, finally rises above it and stoops with terrific force, wings almost closed. Breeds in rugged hills and mountains; winters around large lakes, rivers, marshes, sea cliffs, coastal lagoons and mangroves.

Peregrine Falcon feeds mainly on birds, such as doves, pigeons, shorebirds, waterfowls, grouses and small songbirds. They also may eat small reptiles and mammals, such as bats, rodents, squirrels and rats. Small preys are eaten in flight.

Peregrine Falcon is usually silent, except near the nest. Its frequent call is a loud, harsh, scolding ka-yak, ka-yak, ka-yak becoming a shrill kek-kek-kek when alarmed.

The peregrine falcon is a widespread bird of prey. It is a large crow-sized falcon. It has a blue-grey back barred white underparts and a black head and moustache. As is typical of bird-eating raptors peregrine falcons are sexually dimorphic females being considerably larger than males. The peregrine is renowned for its speed reaching over 389 km/h during its characteristic hunting stoop making it the fastest member of the animal kingdom. The peregrine's breeding range includes land regions from the Arctic tundra to the tropics. It can be found nearly everywhere on Earth except extreme polar regions very high mountains and most tropical rainforests the only major ice-free landmass from which it is entirely absent is New Zealand. This makes it the world's most widespread raptor and one of the most widely found bird species.