Hawks Aloft, Inc.
Conservation, Avian Research, and Education
PO Box 10028 - Albuquerque, NM 87184 - (505) 828-9455

 

Species Profile: Peregrine Falcon

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The Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) is the world's fastest flying bird.  In a stoop, it can reach speeds over 200 mph (the maximum speed on most highways is 75 mph)!  Stoop means they pull their wings very close to their body and dive towards their prey.  This reduces air friction and allows the bird to fly very fast.  Peregrine Falcons are specialists.  They specialize in capturing other birds!  They find their prey while soaring or perched on a tall structure or cliff.  Then the Peregrine Falcon stoops towards the bird and punches it right out of the sky!  This punch stuns or kills the bird.  The falcon either catches it in the air, or picks it up from the ground after it has fallen. 

In the 1970's, Peregrine Falcon populations were dangerously low because of a chemical called DDT.  DDT is a pesticide (poison) that farmers used to prevent insects from destroying their crops.  They did not know it at the time, but DDT was indirectly killing many birds, as well as limiting their productivity (ability to make young).  Small birds ate insects that fed on plants sprayed with DDT.  Then larger birds, like the Peregrine Falcon, ate these birds.  When the falcons ate the animals contaminated with DDT, the concentration (amount) of DDT inside the falcon increased.  DDT caused eggshell thinning in peregrines.  This made the eggs more likely to break before the baby bird hatched.  Because there were so few peregrines hatching, the population of Peregrine Falcons decreased when the adult birds died.  In 1975, there were only 39 known breeding pairs in the continental United States.

But there is hope!  DDT is now banned in the United States.  This ban, along with captive breeding and release programs, means that Peregrine Falcons are once again soaring in the skies!  The Peregrine Fund released over 4000 captive-bred peregrines in 28 states over a 25-year period.  Currently in North America, there are approximately 1500 breeding pairs of Peregrine Falcons.  For more information about the Peregrine Fund visit: http://www.peregrinefund.org