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Peregrine falcon

Falco peregrinus

A powerful, slate-grey falcon with a dark hood and moustache, and the fastest animal on Earth.

Size
About 45cm long
Look for it
All year round
Where
Cathedrals, tower blocks and power stations, as well as sea cliffs

My spotter's list

Sweeps round you in fast figures of eight. Move your pointer and see.

When to look

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Peregrine

Good to know

Six things about the peregrine

Speed

The fastest animal

When it dives after prey, a peregrine can reach about 200 miles an hour. Nothing alive is faster.

City

City cliffs

To a peregrine, a cathedral or a tower block is just a cliff with a good view and plenty of pigeons.

Stoop

The stoop

Its hunting dive is called a stoop. It folds its wings and drops on a bird from high above.

Comeback

A comeback

Peregrines almost died out in Britain in the 1960s because of farm chemicals. They have recovered well since those were banned.

Nose

Built for speed

Small bony cones inside its nostrils let it breathe at high speed.

Watching

Nest cameras

Many city peregrine nests have webcams, so you can watch the chicks grow up from home.

The real thing

Photos of the peregrine

Peregrine falcon, photo 1
Photo: Carlos Delgado, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Peregrine falcon, photo 2
Photo: Kytabu, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Peregrine falcon, photo 3
Photo: Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Out and about

How to spot one

Look at the highest ledges of cathedrals, church towers and tall buildings for a hunched grey shape. Feathers on the ground below are a good clue.

Lend a hand

How to help

Many city pairs are watched by local volunteers and have nest cameras. Following one online helps to show how much they matter.

Keep going

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