Peregrine falcons

The Peregrine falcon is a kind of crow-sized falcon that is the fastest bird in the world and can soar over 200 mph. It is also known as the "Duck Hawk" and simply "Peregrine." These falcons, like many other raptors, exhibit sexual dimorphism, with the females being bigger than the males. These birds have a slate-grey body with black wingtips, a slate-grey head, a bluish-grey back, and white underparts with dark barring. The end of their long, slender, rounded tail has a black tip and a white stripe.

Although medium-sized birds make up the majority of the peregrine's diet, it also occasionally hunts insects, small animals, and even tiny reptiles. It pairs for life at one year of age and builds its nest in a scrape, usually on cliff edges or, more recently, on large man-made buildings. The extensive use of certain pesticides, particularly DDT, led to the peregrine falcon becoming an endangered species in many locations. Populations have rebounded since the early 1970s DDT prohibition, helped by widespread nesting site preservation and releases into the wild.

Due to its effective hunting abilities, great trainability, adaptability, and availability through captive breeding, the peregrine falcon is a highly valued bird in the falconry world. From tiny to large game bird species, it works well. Throughout several centuries and regions of human civilisation, it has also been utilized as a religious, regal, or national emblem.