Field Guide
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Peregrine Falcon
Falco peregrinus
Not yet photographed by the community
The world's fastest animal, now nesting on city cathedrals.
Species Profile
Green List (UK); populations recovering well after near extinction in the 1960s–70s.
- Lifespan
- 12–20 years in the wild; oldest UK-ringed bird recorded over 25 years old
- Size & Weight
- 34–50 cm, wingspan 74–120 cm; males 330–1000 g, females 910–1500 g
- Habitat
- Open and semi-open country including moorland, cliffs, and increasingly urban areas with tall buildings and bridges.
- UK Distribution
- Found throughout the UK, with populations in Scotland, Wales, and northern England; also increasingly in cities. Largely resident year-round, though some continental birds winter in the UK.
- Diet
- Exclusively carnivorous, hunting live birds in flight using spectacular high-speed dives.
- Prey
- Pigeons, doves, ducks, waders, and small songbirds; occasionally small mammals and insects.
- Predators
- Golden eagles, white-tailed eagles, and great horned owls; eggs and chicks vulnerable to corvids and foxes.
- Mating Season
- March to August
- Breeding
- Clutch of 3–4 eggs; incubation 29–32 days; fledging at 35–42 days; typically one brood per year. Uses cliff ledges, quarries, or tall urban structures.
- Behaviour
- Solitary or pairs; highly territorial and loyal to nesting sites year after year. Famous for hunting stoops (dives) reaching over 240 mph, the fastest animal on Earth. Males perform acrobatic courtship displays.
- •Peregrine falcons nearly went extinct in the UK due to pesticide poisoning (DDT), which thinned eggshells; they were reintroduced successfully from the 1970s onwards.
- •A peregrine's dive (stoop) can exceed 240 mph (386 km/h), making it the fastest animal on Earth.
- •They have a distinctive dark 'moustache' marking on their face and bright yellow cere (eye-ring) and feet.
- •Urban populations have thrived on high-rise buildings and bridges, adapting to city life and feeding on feral pigeons.
- •Peregrine falcons mate for life and return to the same nest site year after year, sometimes using eyries on cliffs or quarries for over 50 years.
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