A peregrine falcon is most readily identified by its "malar stripe", the dark band or mask extending from its crown down across the eye. the Peregrine resembles an arrow both in the air and perched.  Their favorite food are pigeons, jays, black birds and water birds.  Most insect eating birds are now in decline from newer pesticides, so the peregrine faces another threat. Do you think that the fact that the red knot, a chunky sandpiper, has been clocked at 110 MPH in straight flight has any thing to do with the hunting habits of the peregrine falcon?

 Peregrines are about 15 to 20 inches in length, and anywhere from one and a quarter to two and and three quarters pounds, with the female, as with all raptors, the larger of the two sexes. "Peregrinus" is a latin word, meaning "to wander", and the peregrine falcon, along with the osprey, is the most widely distributed raptor in the world. Not only is the peregrine found on every continent, except Antarctica, and all major islands except Iceland and New Zealand, but in almost all conceivable habitats, and at any elevation up to 9,000 feet! "Falco" means "hook shaped", which can refer to the falcon's beak or talons.

  The peregrine lives on rocky cliffs, generally unapproachable from the ground, and facing southeast, south or southwest, to catch the early morning sun.  Through binoculars, look for evidence of whitewash from the falcon's excrement and blowflies feeding on decomposing prey fragments.

 Because a reasonable portion of the peregrine's diet is insect eating birds such as starlings, it became extinct in the east, principally from DDT pesticide poisoning.  In a process known as bio-magnification,  top of the food chain predators, such as the Peregrine, accumulate the concentrated pesticide toxins from the animals they prey on, who in turn, have accumulated from their environment, prey, etc. The eggshells become too thin to incubate, collapsing under the weight of the nesting parent. After the banning of DDT in the United States, The Peregrine Fund released 4,000 captive-bred peregrines in 28 states over 25 years.

  Peregrines are the favored bird of falconers, and have been used in hunting for thousands of years. Falconers played a key role in the Peregrine’s recovery after their decline during the DDT years.

  Peregrines don't build nests, but scrape a small depression on a cliffside, preferably near water. Ironically, the peregrines’s nesting preference made it very comfortable nesting on New York City skyscrapers, a fact which contributed greatly to its restoration, and put a welcome check on the ever-burgeoning pigeon population. The female peregrine lays 3 to 4 eggs, which she incubates for about 34 days. The hatchlings fledge after 5 or 6 weeks. The male falcon, often referred to as the "tiercel", will do most of the hunting for food early on. As the chicks grow, and their food requirements increase, the female joins the male in hunting, and returning food to the nest.

Subspecies include the largest Peregrine, Peale's peregrine, an abundant maritime falcon found from the Oregon Coast up to Southeastern Alaska and the Aleutians. Tundra peregrines range from the Bering Strait down to just above treeline, while the Anatum peregrine covers the rest of North America, south of the tree line.