Peregrine
Tagged: animal, animals, bird, cat, mammal( image )
Peregrine breeds in North America and northern Eurasia but usually migrates to southern climes for the winter, including Southeast Asia and Australia. Some populations are resident year round. Reaching recorded speeds of up to 150 km/h, the peregrine is the world’s fastest bird. As a raptor, or bird of prey, it has been valued for centuries, not only for its sleek beauty, but also because it can be trained by falconers to catch birds and mammals. The peregrine is found in many parts of the world and its habitat is varied: it even nests on the ledges of city skyscrapers. Its name comes from the Latin word wanderer and reflects the birds ability to migrate up to 1600 km to spend winter in a warmer climate.
Incredible Sky Diver
Peregrines are famous for their daring aerial stunts, including the characteristic stoop, a powerful dive in which the falcon is though to be capable of reaching speeds of over 400 km/h. The birds highly manoeurable wings, with their sharply pointed tips, are designed for flight precision. However, while peregrines are extremely agile, they do not soar like other raptors which have broader wings. Peregrines also differ from other raptors in that they do not build their own nests: they use tree cavities, rock ledges or abondoned stick nests. When excited, they bob their heads and pump their tail up and down. they are noisiest when they are hunting or breeding.
Part of body
- plumage – shade varies from region to region
- excellent eyesight – enable prey to be seen from a great height
- long, pointed wings – beat deeply in flight, angling closely to the body during a dive
- lethal weapon – the hooked bill is used for tearing flesh. A notch helps to deliver a clean
- bite to the back of the neck, severing the preys spinal cord
Statistics
- status – locally comman
- lenght – 34-50 cm. Females up to 30% larger than males
- weight – 0.5-1.5 kg
- wing span – 80-119 cm
- plumage – sexes alike
- migration – partial migrant
- mating season – mid-spring
- sexual maturity – 2 years
- incubation period – 29-32 days
- number of eggs – 2-6
- diets – waterfowl, shore birds, small to medium inland birds, such as pigeons
- lifespan – about 18 years
Myth or fact
in Ancient Egypt, the peregrine was worshipped as an incarnation of one of the children of horus, god of the sun. An image of the falcon was often placed on canopic jars, which were used to store a person’s internal organs after mummification. Occassionally, pet peregrines were mummified along with their master. This was a sign of their superior status.
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