![]() ( click here to read about a pair I watched on a chemical plant in Hull). This bird is the most highly successful example of urban wildlife, often choosing ledges on skyscrapers, medieval cathedrals ( click here to read about a peregrine pair I watched on York Minster) and on industrial factories. They nest in a scrape, normally on cliff edges or, in recent times, on tall human-made structures. Pairs return to the same site to nest each year. Both birds reach sexual maturity at one year and mate for life. Males are known ‘tiercels’ and can be up to 30% smaller in size than females. To make this possible, the female actually flies upside-down to receive the food from the male’s talons. It involves a display of dynamic aerial acrobatics, precise spirals, and steep dives during which the male passes gifts of prey to the female in mid-air. If the prey is too heavy to carry, a peregrine will drop it to the ground and eat it there. If it misses, the falcon will chase its prey in a twisting flight. It strikes with a clenched foot, stunning or killing its prey with the impact, then turns in mid-air to catch it. Once it spots its prey, a peregrine begins its stoop, folding back its tail and wings, and tucking in its feet. Formidable huntersĪ peregrine falcon hunts most often at dawn and dusk, when their prey is most active. Read about the diet of a pair of industrial peregrines I watched here. Urban birds hunt at night, hunting by street light. However during the migratory season these birds also pick off small ducks, quails, moorhens, ringed and golden plovers, starlings, swift and little grebes. Pigeons make up the main diet of a peregrine falcon. ![]() Interestingly this curved approach proves to be quicker than a straight one because there is less drag slowing the falcon down. It’s eyesight means it can see better when its head is turned and so it flies in a curve towards its prey. You can tell a peregrine in flight by the way it cruises with rapid steady wing beats and then drops like a bullet onto prey. Studies also show that a peregrine sees more clearly when its head is turned at a 40 degree angle. This spreads tears and clears debris without obstructing vision. They also have a third eyelid to protect their eyes as they stoop to dive. They can see their prey from a distance of more than three kilometres. Peregrines are thought to enjoy binocular vision, eight times better than our own. They fashioned a similar cone in the opening of jet engines so that air could pass into the engines at great speeds. Here they discovered a small cone that protrudes slightl. Wondering how it was possible for falcons to be able to breathe at speed, the scientists found the answer inside the birds’ nostrils. The air, instead of going into the cowl of the engine, encountered a wall of still air and split around it. Researchers were confused by the fact that aeroplane engines started choking out at a certain speed. Scientists designing the first jet engines used the peregrine’s nostril as a model. These small bony tubercles guide shock waves of air entering the nostrils so that the extreme pressure doesn’t damage the bird’s lungs. Special adaptations in this bird’s nostrils enable it reduce the change in air pressure experienced at this speed so that it can breathe. When in full stoop, diving for its prey, a peregrine can reach speeds of 242 mph making it the fastest recorded animal. It looks as if the bird is wearing a mask. Peregrines are also characterised by their horseshoe moustache: black marks that reach down below the eyes. In contrast, sparrowhawks have striking yellow eyes, short wings and a long tail. To tell the difference, look for the peregrine’s dark eyes, long pointed wings and short tail. The barring of a peregrine’s feather pattern means it is often mistaken for a sparrowhawk. How to identify a peregrineĪbout the size of a crow, a peregrine has a blue-grey back, barred white underparts, and an almost black head. The scientific name for a peregrine is Falco Peregrinus. It is so named because outside of the breeding season these birds travel widely. The name peregrine falcon comes from the Latin word ‘peregrinus’, which means ‘wanderer’ or ‘pilgrim. A peregrine’s other name is ‘the wandering bird’ The look of a peregrine, painting by Robert E Fuller. Read on for some fascinating facts about peregrines. The fastest bird in the world with a formidable hunting style, the peregrine falcon is a bird of prey that has inspired many of my paintings.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |