Peregrine Falcon

The Peregrine Falcon is considered to be the fastest bird in the world. This falcon is the Falconers dream bird; dating back over 8,000 years ago this bird was often found on the fists of kings and emperors.

The Peregrine falcon can be found throughout the world; and can be found in almost any type of habitat due to it's agility in the sky. They have been found living in urban areas, high up top skyscrapers feeding on pigeons and starlings; near rocks and cliffs; and most commonly in open grasslands.

The recovery of the Peregrine Falcon has been the most successful recovery of a species, thanks to the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and the dedicated personnel of the Peregrine Fund. In 1975 the population of the Peregrines fell to the lowest numbers ever, 324 pair, a drop of 80 to 90 percent of historical levels. The Eastern American Peregrine known as the "Duck Hawk" ceased to exist. unfortunately the amounts of DDT on the East coast were so heavy there was little chance for this subspecies of the falcon.

The idea of breeding birds of prey in captivity and releasing them into the wild, started with this bird. In 1965 the idea seemed to be absurd, however a group of biologist and falconers made it happen. By 1975 roughly 200 Peregrine falcons were being breed in captivity each year. Today there are over 1000 breeding pairs in the wild in United States, this number may seem small, however it is very significant considering twenty-five years ago this bird was almost history.