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Peregrine Falcons
Written By: William McReynolds - Highlands Plateau Audubon Society | Issue: April 2023
These venerable raptors live year-round in our area.
This bird is no joke. Peregrine Falcons (Falco peregrinus) are powerful birds that nest on cliffs and can be seen in our area including the cliffs of Whiteside Mountain. About the size of crows, adult peregrines vary regionally but usually have blue-gray wings, dark backs, brown-spotted buff undersides and white faces with black stripes down their cheeks. Like other raptors, they have hooked beaks for tearing flesh. These are deft hunters that feed on other birds, pigeons and ducks being favorite prey but including large and small songbirds. They also eat bats. Their pointy wings and long tails are built for speed. Cruising speed while searching for prey is upwards of 35 mph. Air speed when pursuing another bird reaches 70 mph. Dives from dizzying heights a half-mile up, called stoops, achieve speeds of over 200 mph, making this is the fastest animal on the planet. The female is larger than the male. They do not build nests but rather scape out shallow bowls on cliffs or gravel substrates that hold the eggs and fledglings. The male presents the female with several possible nesting sites, and she chooses one. Two to five brown spotted eggs are incubated for 29-32 days. Fledging occurs 35-42 days later. The mated couple will produce only one brood a season. Mid-century last, Peregrine Falcons neared extinction and were put on the list of Endangered Species. The use of DDT as a pesticide was the cause of a rapid decline in the population. DDT was found to cause eggshell thinning, resulting in eggshells breaking while being incubated. We almost lost them. Since the ban on DDT in the 1970’s, Peregrine Falcon populations have recovered, and they are no longer listed as endangered. Today they are found across most of the continent and throughout much of the world. Happy April birding from the Highlands Plateau Audubon Society. Look for these formidable birds in the sky as fast-moving silhouettes with pointed wings, long tails and a call said to be an alarming rehk rehk rehk or a raucuous wiSHEP koCHE koCHE koCHEcheche. You’ll know it when you hear it. Use your Merlin listening app. The Highlands Plateau Audubon Society, focused on enjoying and preserving birds and their habitats, is a Chapter of the National Audubon Society and a 501(c)(3) organization. For information on all our activities and membership, visit www.highlandsaudubonsociety.org. by William McReynolds
Peregrine Falcon by Peter Green
