The North American peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) is a crow-sized bird of prey renowned for its high-speed hunting dives and dramatic recovery from near-extinction caused by DDT pesticides.
North American Subspecies
• Anatum (Falco peregrinus anatum): Breeds throughout Alaska, Canada, the western United States, and Mexico.
• Peale’s (Falco peregrinus pealei): Resides year-round in the Aleutian Islands of Alaska and along the Pacific coast from British Columbia down to Oregon.
• Tundrius (Falco peregrinus tundrius): Breeds on the Arctic tundra across northern North America and migrates to Latin America and South America for the winter.
Key Characteristics
• Appearance: Adults feature a blue-grey or slate-gray back, barred white underparts, a dark hood, and a distinct black malar stripe (or "sideburn"). Juveniles are browner with vertical streaking.
• Size: Crow-sized (length of 34–51 cm) with a wingspan of roughly 74–120 cm; females are noticeably larger than males.
• Speed: Reaches over 200 mph (320+ km/h) during a high-speed hunting dive called a "stoop," making it one of the fastest animals on Earth.
• Diet: Consists almost entirely of other birds—ranging from hummingbirds to ducks and sandhill cranes—as well as occasional bats.
• Nesting: Does not build stick nests; instead, it lays eggs in a shallow depression ("scrape") on high rock cliffs, river bluffs, or tall urban structures like bridges and skyscrapers.
