Peregrine Falcons

1/6400s at f8.0 ISO 4000 Canon EOS-1D X w/800mm, x 1.4 coverter


The peregrine falcon and historically known as the duck hawk in North America. The peregrine's breeding range includes land regions from the Arctic tundra to the tropics. It can be found nearly everywhere on Earth, except extreme polar regions, very high mountains, and most tropical rainforests; the only major ice-free landmass from which it is entirely absent is New Zealand. The peregrine is a highly successful example of urban wildlife in much of its range, taking advantage of tall buildings as nest sites and an abundance of prey such as pigeons and ducks. While its diet consists almost exclusively of medium-sized birds, the peregrine will occasionally hunt small mammals, small reptiles, or even insects. Reaching sexual maturity at one year, it mates for life and nests in a scrape, normally on cliff edges or, in recent times, on tall human-made structures. The peregrine falcon became an endangered species in many areas because of the widespread use of certain pesticides, especially DDT. Since the ban on DDT from the early 1970s, populations have recovered, supported by large-scale protection of nesting places and releases to the wild. 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.
Along the Salt River, AZ
 
03/22/2021