| Description
Peregrine Falcons are crow-sized birds of prey. Adults have slate blue-gray wings and backs barred with black, pale undersides, white faces with a black stripe on each cheek, and large, dark eyes. Younger birds are darker below and browner. Like most raptors, the female is larger than the male. Habitat
Peregrines inhabit a wide variety of habitats including mountain ranges, river valleys, open and semi-open country, lakes, marshes, seacoasts and even congested cities. Nests contain an average of four eggs, and are usually a depression dug in gravel on a cliff ledge, although occasionally peregrines will nest in a tree cavity or abandoned stick nest. Peregrine Falcons feed primarily on small birds such as songbirds, shorebirds, and ducks, and, in urban settings, starlings and pigeons. Their preferred method of hunting is to dive bomb their prey from above. The speed of impact, estimated to be 200 miles per hour, generally kills the prey instantly. Range
There are three subspecies of Peregrine Falcon in North America: the American (anatum), inhabiting the western U.S. and northern Mexico and recently reintroduced to the Eastern U.S., the Arctic (tundrius) in the arctic tundra of the U.S. and Canada, and the Peale’s (pealei), distributed across the Pacific Northwest of North America from Puget Sound to the Aleutian Islands. During winter, Peregrine Falcons migrate to the southern U.S., Mexico, and Central and South America. Current overall distribution remains widespread, as they can be found in almost every habitat type on the continent. Note that this map scale does not depict small populations or breeding pairs of the anatum subspecies that occur in various areas within eastern Canada and eastern United States. Threats
Sharp population declines of Peregrine Falcons in the 1940s, especially in the Eastern U.S., were attributed to the pesticide, DDT, which was in common use at the time. Thanks to North American bans on DDT and to vigorous recovery efforts, Peregrine Falcon populations are now increasing throughout their range, although the American subspecies is still rare in the Eastern United States. Continued use of pesticides and habitat loss remain significant threats to the peregrine.
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