Birds · Falconiformes · Falconidae

Peregrine Falcon

Falco peregrinus

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

It is the fastest animal in the world, reaching speeds of up to 390 km/h in the stoop, the headlong dive it uses to hunt.

Weight

330 g – 1.5 kg

Size

36 cm – 58 cm

Lifespan

8 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

In pairs

Usually lives in pairs, sometimes for life.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

Fun facts

It reaches up to 390 km/h in its hunting stoop, the fastest speed ever recorded for an animal.
Its population collapsed in the mid-twentieth century because of the pesticide DDT, and recovered once it was banned.
It hunts mainly other birds, taken in mid-air.
locomociónIt is the fastest animal in the world in a dive, exceeding 320 km/h when hunting on the wing.

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat & environment: A wide range of habitats worldwide, from Arctic tundra to deserts and major cities
Birth weight: Born altricial and covered in down
Size at birth: Born altricial
Sexual maturity: 2-3 years
Gestation / incubation: 29-32 days
Litter / clutch size: 3 to 4 eggs per clutch
Lifespan in captivity: Documented record of up to 25 years