Who is a peregrine falcon? Peregrine falcon bird: description and photo How the peregrine falcon relates to people
Peregrine Falcon is a species of bird of prey belonging to the genus Falcons. The main feature of the peregrine falcon is its speed; it flies faster than all other birds.
Having found a prey, this predator dives at it at a speed of 322 kilometers per hour. But during a normal flight, peregrine falcons are not so swift, they are inferior to some birds in speed.
The species consists of 19 subspecies. These falcons live almost all over the world, from the northern polar regions to the southern part of the American continent. Peregrine falcons are found in the arctic tundra, India, Tierra del Fuego, Australia, East Africa, Greenland, and the arctic tundra. These birds are not found only in the Amazon, the Arabian Peninsula, the Sahara, Antarctica and the highlands of Central Asia. These predatory birds also, for some unknown reason, do not like New Zealand, although the conditions are suitable for their habitat.
Peregrine falcon appearance
Peregrine falcon body length varies between 35-58 centimeters. Males are smaller than females. The body weight of females is 0.9-1.5 kilograms, and males do not gain more than 450-750 grams.
That is, females are 2 times larger than males. Between subspecies in females, the difference in weight can be 300 grams. On average, the difference in weight between males and females is 30%. The wingspan ranges from 75 to 120 centimeters.
The plumage color in females and males is the same. Color contrast is characteristic of certain parts of the body. In adults, the wings, back and upper tail are bluish-black. Against this background, bluish-gray stripes are visible. The belly is light with dark brown or black streaks. The tips of the wings are black. The tail is narrow and long, its tip is rounded and black in color with white piping.
Most of the head is black. From the beak to the throat, a kind of mustache stretches - feathers of black color. The chest and front part of the body are light, they look in contrast against the background of the black head. Legs are yellow with black claws. The base of the beak is yellow, and the beak itself is black. The beak ends in small teeth, with the help of which the predator bites the spine of the victim. The eyes are large, dark brown in color, there are no feathers around them - this is bare skin of a pale yellow hue.
Young individuals have less contrasting plumage. Their belly is pale blue, and the back is dark brown. There are streaks on the lower part of the belly.
Peregrine falcon behavior and nutrition
Peregrine falcons prefer to live away from people - in rocky valleys, in the foothills of ridges, on the banks of mountain rivers and lakes, or in remote areas. These predators have a clear preference for rocks in which large predators can easily hide. These falcons live in large swampy areas, but they do not like open spaces and, on the contrary, dense forests.
Only those subspecies that live in the harsh Arctic zones are migratory. For the winter, they go to the south - to Brazil, the USA, Southeast Asia. Subspecies living in India, Australia, Africa and South America live throughout the year in the same area.
Speaking about the ability of these birds to dive at high speed, it is worth noting the unusual structure of the beak. At high speeds, the resistance of the air environment greatly increases, such a high pressure can cause a rupture of the lungs, but this does not happen in the peregrine falcon due to the fact that next to the nostrils they have special bony tubercles that act as a baffle for the air flow, directing it to the side ... Due to this, peregrine falcons breathe relatively easily, even during a rapid fall.
The flight of the peregrine falcon is fast and swift. The eyes of these falcons are also protected by special membranes called the third eyelid. Thus, nature has thought through everything to the smallest detail so that the peregrine falcons feel comfortable even when falling at a speed of 620 kilometers per hour. But the maximum recorded speed with which these birds of prey dive is 389 kilometers per hour. This speed was recorded in 2005.
Listen to the voice of the peregrine falcon
Peregrine Falcons are real predators, so they destroy other birds without the slightest regret. Their diet includes a huge number of birds. Their number reaches one and a half thousand, these are wild pigeons, waders, cranes, blackbirds and so on. In addition to birds, these falcons eat rodents. Also, they fall into the claws of these predators, and. They eat peregrine falcons and insects, but they make up a small part of the diet. Peregrine falcons usually hunt in the morning and in the evening, but they can also feed at night.
Reproduction and life expectancy
These birds of prey are monogamous, they form pairs for life. Couples are destroyed only after the death of the female or male. Birds have chosen the same nesting sites for many years. Peregrine Falcons do not congregate in one place. Each pair has its own territorial allotment on which the birds feed and breed. Between peregrine falcon nests, the distance reaches 2-3 kilometers.
In different regions, the mating period occurs at different times. For example, peregrine falcons living at the equator make clutches from June to December. More northern peregrine falcons lay eggs from April to June. For the inhabitants of the southern hemisphere, this period occurs in February-March.
If the first clutch is lost for some reason, the female makes a new one. Typically, these falcons build their nests high above the ground, on sheer cliffs or in tree hollows. It depends on where the birds live. These birds of prey ignore the abandoned nests of other birds.
The peregrine falcon is a bird of prey. Before mating, mating games take place in birds, the male performs various air figures in front of the female. If the female sits on the ground near the male, this indicates that she is taking his attention, thus a pair is formed. It is noteworthy that males can feed their chosen ones in the air, while the female turns her belly up to eat.
Clutch consists of 2-5 eggs. Both parents are engaged in incubation of offspring. But the female spends most of the time in the nest, and the male gets food. The incubation period lasts a little over a month.
Newborn chicks are covered with white-gray down. At first, the kids are completely helpless. The female warms them with her body. After 1.5 months, the chicks become on the wing. At the end of the 2nd month of life, young animals become completely independent and leave their parents.
Sexual maturity in peregrine falcons occurs 1 year after birth. At 2-3 years of age, these falcons begin to reproduce. The female makes 1 clutch per year. Life expectancy in the wild averages 25 years, but it is believed that falcons live up to 100-120 years. This may be so, but there is no evidence for this theory.
In the first year of life, about 60-70% of young birds die. This number decreases by 30% annually. Most of these birds of prey live up to 15-16 years old, because they have too many enemies.
Peregrine falcon enemies
All terrestrial predators and other birds surpassing peregrine falcons in size are their natural enemies. The falcon is threatened. These predators destroy nests and devour clutches.
In this regard, in some countries, peregrine falcons are listed in the Red Book. Today it is necessary to actively develop measures to preserve the number of the species. People have known peregrine falcons for thousands of years; people actively used these feathered predators in falconry, because they are very dexterous and fast.
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Peregrine Falcon is the fastest bird, capable of developing the highest speed among all living things on the planet. Among falcons, the peregrine falcon can share glory only with its relative, the gyrfalcon. Of other species, the Saker Falcon, Shahin, Kestrel, Red Fox are close to it.
Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) caught a pigeon.
Like most falcons, the peregrine falcon is a medium-sized bird. In length, it reaches 40-50 cm, and weighs 0.6-1.3 kg, and the females of the peregrine falcon are larger than the males. The body of this bird is streamlined, fast-paced. The chest is well-muscled, the wings are long, and the tail, on the contrary, is short. The ends of the wings are pointed, the tail is bluntly cut off, the beak, although it looks small, is strong and ends with a sharp hook. However, the main weapon of the peregrine falcon is relatively long legs with strong and clawed toes. A blow with clawed paws at high speed rips the victim's body like a cutter. The color of males and females is the same: from above the body of the peregrine falcon is slate-gray, the cheeks are of the same color, the underside of the body is light - from white to reddish-buffy. There are streaks scattered all over the body, almost imperceptible on the upper side of the wings and forming a clear "hawkish" pattern on the lower side of the body. The base of the beak, eyelids and paws are bright yellow. Some subspecies may have slight deviations from this color. The peregrine falcon's voice is a shrill "kya-kya".
The young peregrine falcon is distinguished from adult birds by the yellowness of the abdomen and almost longitudinal stripes.
The range of the peregrine falcon is unusually wide, these birds live throughout Eurasia, North America and most of Africa, they are also found in Madagascar, some Pacific islands (up to Australia), in the extreme south of South America. Peregrine falcons inhabit open areas, most often found in the tundra, forest-tundra, forest-steppe, savannah, on the rocky coast of the seas. These birds avoid continuous forests and deserts, but they willingly settle in urban landscapes ranging from ancient cathedrals in small towns and ending with modern skyscrapers of megalopolises. In tropical areas, peregrine falcons are sedentary, in the south of the temperate zone in winter they migrate to the south, in the northern parts of the range they are typically migratory birds.
Peregrine falcons live alone, during the nesting period they keep in pairs. Couples of birds guard their sites very zealously, they drive out from there not only their relatives, but also other large species of birds (eagles, ravens). Peregrine Falcon areas are extensive, each nesting site is 3-10 km away from the neighboring one. It is interesting that peregrine falcons never hunt near their nests, no matter how many prey there may be, therefore geese, swans, geese tend to settle closer to peregrine falcon nests. In this case, they and their offspring are guaranteed to be protected not only from the attack of the falcons, but also from the attacks of other birds of prey, which the peregrine falcons drive away.
The favorite prey of peregrine falcons is medium-sized birds: pigeons, gulls, sandpipers. During the feeding period, they can also hunt for unusually small prey (small waders and passerines), but at times peregrine falcons can also encroach on birds much larger than themselves. It is not difficult for a peregrine falcon to get a heron, goose, duck, the weight of which is several times its own. Peregrine falcons rarely hunt land animals (rodents), and they do not touch larger animals at all. It must be said that peregrine falcons equally take prey both from the ground (sick or young birds that cannot fly) and from the air, but aerial peregrine falcon hunting attracts most of all. The peregrine falcon's flight is light with frequent flaps of its wings, but in horizontal flight the peregrine falcon develops a speed of no more than 100-110 km / h. Of course, this is a lot, but swifts fly at the same speed, swallows and even pigeons can dodge a peregrine falcon. It turns out that the peregrine falcon is not such a successful predator. But these falcons have a secret weapon - a swift dive. Here the peregrine falcon knows no equal in the world of animals, because in the fall, his body cuts the air at a speed of 240-300 km / h! This is the highest speed recorded among all living things in general.
Peregrine Falcon in a characteristic peak with half-folded wings.
In connection with such features of flight, peregrine falcons have developed their own hunting style. These birds do not try to catch up with the prey in an open competition for speed, more often the peregrine falcon tracks prey from a shelter (a crevice in the rocks, a dry tree), and then with a sudden jerk catches up with it, and the peregrine falcon tries not to fly after the victim in a straight line, but to dive under it, and best of all, to be on top. Having reached such a position, he folds his wings (this significantly increases the speed of free fall) and dives on the victim. The peregrine falcon grabs prey with its paws, which, in combination with the huge collision speed, can already be fatal for the victim, if this was not enough, then the peregrine falcon finishes off the prey with a sharp beak.
Peregrine Falcons are monogamous birds, their pairs are preserved for life. The mating ritual consists in acrobatic flight, somersaults in the air and the transfer of prey by the male to the female on the fly. Peregrine falcons build nests ineptly, the nest litter is always poor and consists of several branches and large feathers, in this regard, peregrine falcons often occupy the nests of crows, impudently driving out their owners. Peregrine falcons always strive to build their own nests on safe heights (rocks, tall buildings), with such convenient nests, they can occupy such places from generation to generation for centuries. In addition, each pair on the site has several spare nests that they can use when the main one is ruined. On vast plains (for example, in the tundra) peregrine falcons dig a shallow hole in the ground - that's the whole nest.
Mating flight of peregrine falcons.
In April-May, the female lays 2-5 eggs (usually 3) of red-chestnut color with dark strokes and specks. The pair incubates the clutch for 33-35 days, but the female sits on the nest more often. Peregrine falcon chicks are covered with white down and at first they are warmed by the female. The male provides the family with food, the parents tear the prey into small pieces and feed the chicks with individual meat fibers. The chicks grow quickly and fledge within a month, and after a month and a half they try to fly. The art of dexterous hunting is not given to young birds right away, therefore, about a month after they get on the wing, young peregrine falcons are fed by their parents. Birds reach sexual maturity by one year, but they form pairs only at the age of 2-3 years.
Peregrine Falcon eggs in a ground nest.
In nature, peregrine falcons have few enemies, only larger birds of prey can hunt them, nests can be ruined by ground predators. But peregrine falcons are not a timid bird, in most cases they actively attack even large animals (for example, they constantly circle over a person) and they manage to fend for themselves. People have always admired the flying qualities of peregrine falcons and tried to use them to their advantage. Since ancient times, peregrine falcon chicks have been caught and tamed as hunting birds. Peregrine falcons were hunted by kings, princes and sultans, in medieval Europe they hunted pigeons, herons, ducks, geese, waders with them. Peregrine Falcons are well tamed and are famous for their prey and spectacular hunting style; there are cases when these birds paid tribute and taxes.
Peregrine Falcon uses the sculptural decorations of the cathedral as an observation deck.
However, misfortune also came from man to peregrine falcons. It happened in the middle of the twentieth century, when they invented drugs for the destruction of insects - pesticides. It turned out that the pesticide DDT accumulates in the body of insects and insectivorous birds, and when they are eaten by peregrine falcons, it also enters their body. High doses of DDT disrupted the metabolism of falcons and they laid eggs with abnormally thin shells; in the 50s and 60s, many pairs of peregrine falcons in Europe and North America were unable to breed chicks, and this led to a global reduction in the world population of these birds. Only a complete ban on DDT and the breeding of peregrine falcons in special nurseries made it possible to preserve these beautiful birds. Now peregrine falcons have restored their numbers and are even trying to populate such large cities as New York, for example. Here peregrine falcons have a rich food base in the form of innumerable flocks of pigeons. Nowadays, these falcons again serve people, now they are used to scare away flocks of birds near airports.
I am Peregrine Falcon Thirty-sixth - a large and strong dog of a rare breed
red-sand color, four years old, and weigh about six and a half
poods. Last spring, in a strange huge barn, Ged us dogs were locked
a heavy yellow cake, and everyone praised me.
However, the cake did not smell at all.
I am Medelyan. We must say "weeks". In ancient times for the people once
there was fun every week: bears were pitched against strong dogs. My
ancestor Sapsan II in the presence of the formidable Tsar John IV, taking
vulture bear "in place" by the throat, threw him to the ground, Ged he was
pinned by the main royal dog. In honor and memory of his best of my ancestors
were named Sapsan. Such a pedigree can boast of a few of the bestowed
graphs. What brings me closer to the descendants of ancient human surnames is that blood
ours, according to knowledgeable people, is blue. The name Sapsan -
Kyrgyz, which means it is a hawk.
The first creature in the whole world is the Master. I'm not his slave at all, not even
a servant, and not a watchman, as others think, but a friend and patron. People, these walking
on their hind legs, naked animals wearing other people's skins, ridiculously awkward and
defenseless. But on the other hand, they have some miraculous and incomprehensible to us.
a little terrible power, and most of all - the Master. I love this
strange power, and he appreciates in me strength, dexterity, courage and intelligence. So we and
The owner is ambitious. When we walk along the street with him - I am at his right
legs, - behind us are always heard flattering remarks: "That's so doggy ...
The owner understands that I hear these praises and that I know to whom they apply. But I
I feel his funny, naive, proud
joy. Freak. Let her amuse herself. He is even nicer to me with his little ones
weaknesses.
I am strong. I am stronger than all dogs in the world. They will learn it from afar by
my smell, by sight, by sight. In the distance I see their souls lying
in front of me on their backs, with their paws raised up. Strict canine rules
martial arts forbid me to touch the surrendered, and I do not find myself
a worthy opponent for a good fight ... And how sometimes you want ... However,
the big tiger dog from the next street completely stopped leaving the house after
of how I taught him a lesson for being impolite. Passing the fence behind which he
lived, now I can no longer smell him and never hear him barking from afar.
People are not that. They always crush the weak. Even the Master, the kindest of
people, sometimes he hits like that - not at all loud, but cruel - with the words of others,
small and cowardly, that I feel ashamed and sorry. I gently poke
his nose in the hand, but he does not understand and waves it off.
We, dogs, in the sense of guessing thoughts are seven and many times more subtle.
of people. To understand each other, people need external differences, words,
inner instinct. I feel in secret, unknown, trembling paths like theirs
souls blush, turn pale, tremble, envy, love, hate. When the Master
not at home, I know from afar: happiness or misfortune befell him, and I rejoice or
They say about us: such and such a dog is good, such and such is evil. No. Evil or
only a person is kind, brave or cowardly, trusting or secretive. And by
him and the dogs living with him under the same roof.
I will let people stroke me. But I prefer if they reach me
open palm. I don't like paw with claws up. Years of doggy experience
teaches that a stone can be hidden in it (the younger daughter of the Master, my favorite,
cannot pronounce "stone", but speaks "cabins"). A stone is a thing that
flies far, hits accurately and hits painfully. I've seen it on others
dogs. Obviously, no one dared to throw a stone at me!
What nonsense people say that dogs can't stand human
look. I can look into the eyes of the Master even for the whole evening without looking up. But
we dogs avert our eyes out of a sense of disgust. Most people, even
in the young, the look is tired, dull and angry, as if in the old, sick, nervous,
pampered raucous mosecs. But the eyes of children are clean, clear and trusting.
When children caress me, I can hardly help myself not to lick
one of them right in the pink muzzle. But the Master does not allow, but
sometimes he even threatens with a whip. Why? I do not understand. Even he has his own
oddities.
About the bone. Who does not know that this is the most fascinating thing in the world.
Veins, spongy inside, tasty, soaked with brain. Over the other
an entertaining grind, you can readily work with pleasure from breakfast to
lunch. And I think so: a bone is always a bone, at least the most used one, and
therefore, it is always not too late to have fun with it. And so I bury it in
land in the garden or in the garden. Besides, I think: there was meat on it and
he is not here; why, if he is not there, he will not be again?
And if someone - a man, a cat or a dog - walks by the place,
where it is buried, I grow angry and growl. What if they guess? But more often I myself forget
place, and then I am out of sorts for a long time.
We have a fluffy cat "Katya" living in our house, an extremely important and
impudent creature. She behaves so arrogantly, as if the whole house and everything that
in the house - people and things - belongs to her. She always throws herself on other people's dogs
the first, clinging to the face. We live together with her, In the evening, when I
bring my bowl of oatmeal and bones, I willingly let it come over and
savor with me. But the agreement: do not touch the bones. And she remembers it well
after I once shouted at her very loudly. But I also observe
contract: do not touch the cat's milk! However, I don't like to play with her.
It will certainly be forgotten in the game and will scratch my nose. And I hate this.
I sneeze for a long time and rub my nose with my paws.
The other day Little called me to her room, to the nursery and opened the locker. There
our cat was lying on its side on the bottom shelf, and a whole bunch of funny
blind kittens. "Really, peregrine falcon, how delightful they are?" - told me
Small.
Truth. I really liked them. Two or three I sniffed, licked and
with his nose turned from the abdomen to the back. They squeaked like mice and were warm
and soft, helpless and angry. Concerned, the cat raised its head and
step on them with your paw, you are so big. "
Here's a silly one. I don’t know exactly?
Today the Boss took me to visit a house where we have never been before.
There I saw a wonderful miracle: not a puppy, but a real adult dog, but
so small that it would fit freely in the moths of a closed mouth, and
there would still be enough room for her to circle around herself,
before you lie down. All of her, with her thin, wobbly legs and wet
with bulging black eyes, she looked like some kind of trembling spider, but -
Frankly, I have never met a more ferocious creature. About Us
fiercely pounced on me and shouted shrilly: "Get out of my
at home! Out this very minute! Otherwise I will tear you to pieces! Tear off my tail and head!
Get out! You smell like the street! "And she added a few more such words,
that ... I got scared, tried to crawl under the sofa, but only my head passed, and
the sofa slid across the floor, then I huddled in a corner. The owner laughed. I looked at
him reproachfully. After all, he himself knows very well that I will not give up any
a horse, neither in front of a bull, nor in front of a bear. Simply - it struck me and
horrified that this tiny doggy ball was spewing out such
a huge supply of anger.
After the Master of all, the little one is closer to my dog's heart - that's how I call
his daughter. I would not forgive anyone but her if they decided to drag me
by the tail and by the ears, to mount me on horseback or harness me to a cart. But I am everything
I endure it and pretend to squeal like a three-month-old puppy. And I'm happy
it happens in the evenings to lie motionless, when she, having run over the day, suddenly
doze off on the carpet, nesting his head on my side. And she when we
we play, it also does not take offense if I sometimes wave my tail and knock her off her feet.
Sometimes we mess with her, and she starts to laugh. I really love it,
but I can’t do it myself. Then I jump up with all four paws and bark loudly like
only I can. And they usually drag me out into the street by the collar. Why?
In the summer there was such a case at the dacha. The little one still barely walked and was
pretentious. The three of us walked. She, me and the nanny. Suddenly everyone rushed about - people
and animals. In the middle of the street a dog was racing, black, with white spots, with
head down, tail hanging, covered in dust and foam. The nanny ran away
squealing. The little girl sat down on the ground and cried. The dog was rushing straight at us. AND
from a distance, this dog immediately breathed on me the pungent smell of madness and
infinite frenzied anger. All my fur reared in horror, but I
overcame himself and blocked the body of Little.
It was no longer a single combat, but the death of one of us. I shrank, waited
brief, precise moment and in one leap knocked the motley to the ground. Then he raised
by the collar in the air and shook it. She lay down on the ground motionless, flat and
now not scary at all. But Little was very scared. I brought her
home. All the way she held my ear and pressed against me, I
felt her little body tremble.
Fear not, my little one. When I'm with you, then not one beast, not one
man in the world will not dare to offend you.
I do not like moonlit nights, and I intolerably want to howl when I look
On sky. It seems to me that someone big is looking from there, bigger than himself
The Master, that whom the Master so incomprehensibly calls "Eternity" or otherwise. Then
I have a vague presentiment that my life will one day end, as it ends
the life of dogs, beetles and plants. Will the Master come to me then, before the end?
I do not know. I would really like that. But even if he does not come - mine
the last thought will still be about Him.
The peregrine falcon bird is one of the most common feathered predators of the falcon family. This species is quite common, respectively, it can be found on almost any continent, with the exception of Antarctica. The peregrine falcon, unlike other birds of prey, has a rather modest size (no more than an ordinary crow), the back has a dark gray feather cover, the plumage of the abdomen is light, the bird's head is black with characteristic "antennae" for this species. To date, about two dozen peregrine falcon subspecies are known, differing from each other both in size and in color of plumage.
Description
The peregrine falcon is a bird of the falcon families, the average body length of representatives of this species is up to 50 cm, the wingspan is up to 120 cm.Note that the females of the peregrine falcon are somewhat larger than males, the body weight of birds reaches 1500 g. male peregrine falcon practically does not have any differences.
This species has a fairly strong folded body, a wide chest, a rather short beak (shaped like a sickle) and strong clawed paws. The feather outfit of adults of the peregrine falcon is dark gray (back, wings, upper tail area), decorated with stripes located across a darker shade than the main color of the color. The wings of the bird have a black frame around the edges. The peregrine falcon's belly is light with a smooth transition from gray-white to ocher tone with characteristic thin streaks of black. The breasts of the species are also decorated with dark teardrop-shaped streaks. The tail is rather long, but narrow, with a slight rounding at the end, decorated with a white border.
The bird's eyes are large, brown, with a characteristic yellowish ring framing the bird's eye. Adults have a beak and legs of a dark color, the wax is pale yellow. The peregrine falcon's beak has teeth intended mainly for biting the spine of a prey caught by a bird of prey.
The feathery outfit of young peregrine falcon is more contrasting, which is manifested by a brown back, a light belly with transverse streaks. The paws of young birds are yellow, the wax is gray, with a bluish tint.
Nutritional features of representatives of the species
The main prey for peregrine falcons are mainly small / medium-sized. These birds include pigeons, sparrows, and small ducks. In fact, the predator hunts for all types of small birds that are most widespread in its habitats (nesting site, feeding area). In addition to birds, the falcon's diet is also made up of small mammals, amphibians. The favorite delicacy of such a subspecies as the Siberian peregrine falcon is vole mice and ground squirrels.The best time to hunt birds is early morning or evening. Often the peregrine falcon hunts in pairs, the predator grabs its prey with strong clawed paws on the fly. The peregrine falcon is distinguished by remarkable patience, looking out for its prey, being in the air, and hovering over the feeding area or sitting for quite a long time on a high ledge.
Being in the air and seeing its prey, the peregrine falcon dives down almost at lightning speed, folding its wings (the flight speed of the feathered predator reaches 90 m / s), first striking, and at the same time grabbing its prey. This species, deservedly received the title of the fastest birds that only exist on our planet. In the event that the victim does not immediately die from the force of the blow with which the bird swoops down on it, then the latter finishes it off with its strong beak. With the prey, the bird rises to the nearest rocky elevation, after which, as a rule, it has a meal. Or it is carried to the place of its nesting for feeding the female and offspring.
Bird spread
As mentioned above, the peregrine falcon is a bird that is often found almost all over the earth (with the exception of Antarctica). This predator, completely unpretentious to the conditions of its habitat, can quite easily get along in an area characterized by different climatic conditions (from the tundra to the sultry tropics). In the mountainous area, peregrine falcons live at altitudes that exceed 4000 m above sea level.
For their residence, this species of birds prefers a terrain that is difficult to access for most animals and humans, characterized by a wide horizon and the presence of water sources in the immediate vicinity of nesting sites (mountain river valleys).
Most of the colonies of the presented birds prefer a nomadic life - a sedentary lifestyle, the exception is the colonies of birds of prey living in the subarctic / arctic climate (they make long flights during the wintering period).
Breeding features
Peregrine falcon reaches sexual maturity at the age of 1 year, but offspring occurs when adults reach 2-3 years. This type of bird is monogamous, it says that, having created a pair, the birds stay together for many years.
The beginning of the mating season for these birds of the falcon family coincides with the end of spring - early summer (April-June). The first to fly to the nesting site of birds is the male peregrine falcon, while immediately starting to call the female, which is manifested by the execution of intricate figures in the air. If the female flies up to the male attracting her attention, this indicates the formation of a pair. Birds are close to each other for a long time, showing signs of attention and courting. Often, the male often feeds the female with the caught prey.
During the nesting period, peregrine falcons are quite aggressive towards any birds and animals. The distance between nests of peregrine falcon pairs reaches 2-6 km.
As a rule, to build a nest, they choose an area near a reservoir; in some cases, peregrine falcons occupy existing old nests left over from other birds. If a new nest is being built, in this case the birds clear a small area, after which a small hole is dug in the ground without any litter. Often, near the peregrine falcon nest, one can notice the accumulation of a significant amount of the remains of the caught prey and litter of the brood.
The laying of eggs is carried out with the onset of the warm season, this period implies that the female peregrine falcon lays three eggs every two days. The color of the eggs is quite bright - brownish with dark spots. The duration of the incubation of eggs is 35 days on average. As a rule, both representatives of the couple are involved in this process.
The hatching chicks are helpless, have too large paws and a characteristic downy outfit of gray-white color. The female warms the emerging offspring with her own body and feeds. The task of the male falcon at this time is to obtain food for feeding its girlfriend and young brood.
Young individuals of the peregrine falcon begin to fly on the wing when they reach 35-45 days after hatching, however, for several more weeks they are completely dependent on their parents, until they learn to get food on their own. Young birds leave the nest of their parents in late June - early July.
Features of the voice of a bird of prey
Although peregrine falcons and silent birds, nevertheless, they have a rather loud and harsh voice that can be heard during the mating season of this species. As a rule, in this case, the peregrine falcon uses its voice exclusively to attract / call the female. Also, this predator often uses its abrupt "edge" in case of any concern or danger.
After the transfer of the island of Malta by the then reigning Emperor Charles V, to the representatives of the knightly order (better known as the Order of Malta), one of the obligatory conditions of the monarch was the transfer of one peregrine falcon once a year. The mention of this is also described in the famous book "The Maltese Falcon", written by the English novelist Dashil Hammett (in 1941, a film adaptation of this novel was released in the USA). Note that today the name of the island is one of the subspecies of this predatory and fast feathered one.
Although the peregrine falcon population is widespread, nevertheless, this bird species has always been considered very rare. Today, the population of the species is declining, the main reason for this is the use of pesticides. Peregrine Falcons are birds included in the Red Book; hunting for this species of feathered predators is prohibited all over the world.
Video: Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus)
V.P. Priklonsky
I am a Peregrine Falcon, a large and strong dog of a rare breed, red-sand color, four years old, and weigh about six and a half poods. Last spring, in a strange huge barn, where there were a little more than seven of us dogs (I can't count further), they hung a heavy yellow cake around my neck, and everyone praised me. However, the cake did not smell at all. I'm medelyan! The Master's friend assures that this name is spoiled. We must say "weeks". In ancient times, once a week, fun was arranged for the people: they pitched bears with dogs. Hence the word. My great-great-grandfather Sapsan I, in the presence of the formidable Tsar John IV, took the vulture bear "in place" by the throat, threw him on the ground, where he was pinned by the trough. In honor and memory of him, the best of my ancestors bore the name of Sapsan. Few of the earned earners can boast of such a pedigree. What brings me closer to representatives of ancient human surnames is that our blood, in the opinion of knowledgeable people, is blue. The name Sapsan is Kyrgyz, which means it is a hawk.
The first creature in the whole world is the Master. I am not his slave at all, not even a servant and not a watchman, as others think, but a friend and patron. People, these walking on their hind legs, naked, wearing other people's skins, animals are ridiculously unstable, weak, awkward and defenseless, but they have some kind of incomprehensible to us, wonderful and a little terrible power, and most of all - the Master. I love this strange power in him, and he appreciates in me strength, dexterity, courage and intelligence. This is how we live.
The owner is ambitious. When we walk along the street with him - I am at his right foot - behind us are always heard flattering remarks: "This is a dog ... a whole lion ... what a wonderful face" and so on. Not with a single movement do I let the Master understand that I hear these praises and that I know to whom they refer. But I feel how his funny, naive, proud joy is transmitted to me along invisible threads. Freak. Let her amuse herself. He is even nicer to me with his little weaknesses.
I am strong. I am stronger than all dogs in the world. They recognize it even from afar, by my smell, by sight, by sight. At a distance, I see their souls lying in front of me on their backs, with their paws raised up. The strict rules of canine combat prevent me from the beautiful, noble joy of fighting. And how sometimes you want! .. However, the big tiger dog from the next street completely stopped leaving the house after I taught him a lesson for being impolite. And I, passing by the fence behind which he lived, no longer smell his smell.