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Falcons have had a long association with people. Falconry, the use of birds of prey in hunting, dates back to the year 2000 B.C. in ancient Egypt and China. The practice reached Europe by 300 B.C. Because of its strength, intelligence, and maneuverability, the peregrine falcon was a prized possession among falconers. The peregrine falcon was the bird used by royalty in the Middle Ages, and its nests were sometimes the exclusive property of the nobles.
Research showed that DDE, a by-product of DDT, accumulated in the fatty tissue of female peregrines and disrupted their production of normal calcium layers in egg shell formation and peregrine falcons were placed on the federal endangered species list in 1970. Today the peregrine falcon is federally delisted but is still in a monitoring period. |
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Peregrine Falcon
Falco peregrinus
At-a-Glance
• Mating: Monogamous, pairs for life.
• Peak Breeding Activity: Late March through May.
• Incubation Period: 32-34 days, April through early June.
• Clutch Size: Average four eggs.
• Young are Hatched: Peak hatching occurs in May through June.
• Young: Altricial (helpless and dependent on the parents). They fledge at 35-42 days.
• Number of Broods per Year: 1; however, if a nest is destroyed early in incubation, the female may renest.
• Migration Patterns: Undetermined in Ohio. There is evidence that the birds may overwinter or migrate to areas with more prey.
• Feeding Periods: Anytime during daylight hours.
• Typical Foods: Pigeons, doves, shorebirds, waterfowl, colonial nesting, and flocking birds. |
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Description
Peregrines have a distinctive appearance. The head and neck area are blackish with a dark wedge of coloration extending below the eyes that forms a “helmet” or hooded appearance. The throat, chin, and ear patch are contrasted by white feathers. The upper body ranges from a bluish-black or slate gray to rich brown; the back, the feathers of the bird’s shoulders, and the small feathers on top of the wings and over the tail feathers have a faint cross pattern or barring, while the rump and tail feathers are more strongly barred. Wing and tail feathers have broad horizontal bars. Underparts are white to cream colored; males have a few blackish spots on the upper breast becoming horizontal bars on the lower breast and abdomen, extending to the sides, flanks and upper thighs. Females are more heavily spotted on the upper breast and become heavily barred on the abdomen, flanks, thighs, and under the tail feathers. In the adult, the iris of the eye is very dark brown, and non-feathered portions of the lower leg and the feet are bright yellow.
Habitat and Habits
Traditionally, peregrines are found in regions of open habitat with tall cliffs that range from tundra, savanna, and forested river valleys, to coastlines and high mountains.Peregrines are usually associated with a source of water which attracts a prey base of small to medium-sized birds. Falcons roost on small ledges, and rock outcroppings on steep, bare rock walls preferably under an overhang. Migrants sometimes overwintered in large cities where tall buildings were used as roost sites and vantage points for foraging on pigeons.
Peregrines are probably best known for their amazing flight speed in pursuit of prey. Prey may be spotted from a daytime roost or while circling high in the sky. The falcon attacks by swooping; the wings are folded so that they are nearly parallel, and the bird dives headfirst toward its prey at speeds that may exceed 200 mph! The falcon will then strike the prey with its talons, usually killing it upon impact. The prey may be retrieved in midair or from the ground.
Reproduction and Care of the Young
Eggs are laid in a scrape at the nest site at an interval of two to three days. Once the falcons have hatched, the female does most of the brooding of the altricial (helpless and dependent on the parents) young. Observations of city nesters indicate that some males are as active in brooding as their mates. For the first three to four days prey is delivered by the male to the female who then tears the food to small pieces for the chicks. Later, both the male and female hunt, but the female still does most of the feeding.
Courtship Behaviors: In the "head-low" stance, the bird (either the male or the female) lowers its head in relation to the rest of its body. This can be done along with "bowing" in which the head and upper body move repeatedly up and down. Both behaviors can be accompanied by what is termed a creaking-call or wailing-call. |
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