Peregrine Falcon

Falco peregrinusOrder: FALCONIFORMES Family: Falcons (Falconidae)

Codes: Common Name: PEFA Scientific Name: FALPER ITIS Taxonomic No.: 175604

Head

Topo Map: Hawk-like Head

Bill Shape: Hooked
Eye Color: Dark brown with yellow ring.
Head Pattern: Special (unique patterns or features)
Crown Color: Gray-blue
Forehead Color: Gray to black.
Nape Color: Black
Throat Color: White to pale brown.
Cere color: Yellow

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Body

Topo Map: Hawk-like Body

Length Range: 41-51 cm (16-20 in)
Weight: 589 g (20.8 oz)
Size: Size 4. Large (16 - 32 in)
Color: White, Black, Gray, Yellow
Underparts: White washed with yellow-brown to red-brown with spots and stripes.
Upperparts: Blue-black
Back Pattern: Solid, Scaled or Scalloped
Belly Pattern: Barred or banded, Striped or streaked
Breast Pattern: Striped or streaked, Solid

Flight

Topo Map: Hawk-like Flight

Flight Pattern: Direct flight with rapid wing beats.
Wingspan Range: 109-117 cm (43-46 in)
Wing Shape: Pointed-Wings
Tail Shape: Squared Tail
Tail Pattern: Barred
Upper Tail: Blue-black
Under Tail: White to buff with brown bars.
Leg Color: Yellow

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Peregrine Falcon

Peregrine Falcon: Medium robust falcon with blue-gray upperparts, plain breast, heavily barred sides, belly, and leggings. Head has a black hood and sideburns. Yellow fleshy eye ring. Yellow legs and feet. Feeds primarily on birds which it takes in midair after a steep, swift dive from above them.

● Song: "kack-kack-kack-kack"

● Foraging & Feeding: Peregrine Falcon: Preys mostly on birds, including doves, pigeons, shorebirds, waterfowl, and passerines; also eats small reptiles and mammals. Often soars to hunt, diving to stun its prey in midair.

● Breeding & nesting: Peregrine Falcon: Two to six buff or white eggs, heavily marked with brown and red, are laid in a nest, often built by other species, set high on a cliff or tall building. Incubation ranges from 28 to 32 days and is carried out by the female.

● Similar species: Peregrine Falcon: Merlin is smaller, has a less-distinct moustache stripe and more strongly barred tail. Prairie Falcon has black underwing patch and lacks strong moustache stripe. Gyrfalcon is larger with broader wings and tail, and lacks the bold moustache stripe.

Flight Pattern

Direct flight with rapid wing beats.

● Range & Habitat: Peregrine Falcon: Breeds from Alaska and the Canadian arctic south locally through the mountainous west, and sparingly in the east. Spends winters on coasts north to British Columbia and Massachusetts. Preferred habitats include tundra, savannas, coasts, mountains, and tall buildings.

^BreedingMonogamous, Solitary nester

^PopulationCommon to fairly common on tundra

^MigrationMigratory

^Weight20.8 Ounces

Hawk-like Head

Hawk-like Body

Hawk-like Flight

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America