Falco peregrinus babylonicus.
Image credit: John Gould, Birds of Asia, vol. 1, pl. 4.
Peregrine falcon
The peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus, literally 'pilgrim falcon'), also known as the peregrine, and historically as the duck hawk in North America, is a widespread bird of prey (raptor) in the family Falconidae. A large, crow-sized falcon, it has a blue-grey back, barred white underparts, and a black head. As is typical of bird-eating raptors, peregrine falcons are sexually dimorphic, with females being considerably larger than males. The peregrine is renowned for its speed, reaching over 320 km/h (200 mph) during its characteristic hunting stoop (high-speed dive), making it the fastest member of the animal kingdom. According to a National Geographic TV programme, the highest measured speed of a peregrine falcon is 389 km/h (242 mph).
The peregrine falcon has a body length of 34 to 58 cm (13–23 in) and a wingspan from 74 to 120 cm (29–47 in). The male and female have similar markings and plumage, but as in many birds of prey the peregrine falcon displays marked sexual dimorphism in size, with the female measuring up to 30% larger than the male. Males weigh 330 to 1,000 g (0.73–2.20 lb) and the noticeably larger females weigh 700 to 1,500 g (1.5–3.3 lb).
A study testing the flight physics of an "ideal falcon" found a theoretical speed limit at 400 km/h (250 mph) for low-altitude flight and 625 km/h (388 mph) for high-altitude flight.
In 2005, Ken Franklin recorded a falcon stooping at a top speed of 389 km/h (242 mph). At that speed they can cover 100 yards (91.44 m) faster than you can say "football field".
John Szabo, theoretical mathematician, has calculated that when the two-pound (0.90718474 kg) falcon Frightful pulls out of a high-speed dive clutching her nearly two-pound lure, she undergoes 27 Gs of deceleration: At that moment, she and her prize weigh slightly more than 100 pounds (45.359237 kg).
Research from 2003, by renowned Swedish falcon researcher Lindberg, conducted with very accurate high speed camera, same as used by NASA, shows that the peregrine falcon can reach a speed of 560 km/h.
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Peregrine falcon
Dive recordings
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