Peregrine Falcon — Species Information

Peregrine Falcon by Ian Collier
Peregrine Falcon - © Ian Collier

Peregrines are generally considered the "fastest animals on the planet"; they are certainly the best documented. A skydiver jumped out of an airplane with a trained peregrine, and clocked the bird at 242 mph in a dive.

Fun Facts!

In a vertical dive after prey, called a "stoop," the peregrine falcon is the fastest animal in the world. It has been clocked at 242 mph

Hunts avian prey almost exclusively

One of the greatest conservation success stories. Through captive-breeding and reintroduction and the ban of a chemical pesticide called DDT, peregrine falcons are no longer an endangered species.

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“This is about as close to a raptor as you're likely to get but before the show most people didn't believe how close...”
-Sam McManis, Sacramento Bee