The Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) is one of the most highly evolved flying machines in the world.  It has long been one of the most popular birds among falconers.  In medieval Europe it was considered a noble bird and ownership was restricted to the higher nobility.

The Peregrine’s elegant head, trim form and long, pointed wings lends this species very distinctive, even from a distance.  The upperparts of the adult are slate blue-gray with a prominent black stripe below the eye.  The underparts are cream colored tinged with salmon, of varying intensity, according to sex, season and geographic distribution. First year birds are mostly brownish until the first annual moult.

Due to its worldwide distribution a variety of subspecies have evolved based on size and color differences.  The three races that occur in the U. S. and Canada include the arctic form tundrius, which breeds in Canada well into the arctic and is highly migratory; anatum , which breeds across the interior and is mostly non-migratory; and pealei, which inhabits the northwest coastal islands including the Queen Charlottes and is also non-migratory.  Pealei is the largest and darkest of the three; tundrius the smallest and lightest in color and, being migratory, is the one most often observed during migration in late September and October.  At Cape May Point in New Jersey more than three hundred have been spotted in a single day during early October.

Peregrines are among the speediest birds in the world and when in a stoop {dive} in pursuit of prey have been clocked at over two hundred miles per hour.  Their prey, nearly one hundred percent birds, is taken in flight, and consists of species up to the size of ducks and pheasants.  Unlike most other raptors, falcons have relatively small talons, yet very large feet.  They dispatch their prey very quickly with a bite to the neck, facilitated by the specialized upper mandible of the beak which is equipped with a distinct notch, or “tooth”.

Courtship begins in early spring with the male engaging in spectacular aerial displays around the previous year’s nest site, to impress, or attract a female.  Historically, nest sites were usually on ledges of high cliffs that overlooked rivers or lakes, where the female scratched out a shallow bowl in the sand that would hold the three or four eggs.  Occasionally Peregrines nested in large cities situated on the banks of major waterways, nesting on the ledges of skyscrapers, even on bridge piers.  The eggs hatch in about four weeks, the female doing most of the incubation while the male provides her with food.  While off the nest eating, the male often takes over incubation until she returns.  The young begin short flights at about six weeks but remain dependent upon the adults for food for several weeks more after they are flying well.

Anatum Peregrines once bred throughout lower Canada and eastern and western U.S. but beginning in the late 1940’s they began disappearing from their historic nesting sites and in just a few decades had become totally absent in the east.  The culprit was DDT and related pesticides which becomes concentrated as it works its way up the food chain, interfering with calcium metabolism in top predators, including our national emblem, the Bald Eagle.  The thin-shelled eggs would break before hatching.  While it is now banned in the U.S. and Canada, DDT still persists in many Central and South American countries where many Peregrines winter.

Today, thanks to captive breeding and release programs, a remarkable number of falcons have been re-established, not only in their historic areas, but have now become well established in most major cities.  They are quick to make use of man-made nesting boxes and platforms placed on ledges and window sills of tall buildings.  I have been fortunate in having been able to observe, photograph and videotape the activities of nesting Peregrines from as close as a few feet, in the comfort of office buildings  in Dayton and Cincinnati, Ohio, separated from the birds by a mere pane of glass.