No.008 · Birds · Uncommon
Peregrine falcon
Falco peregrinus
The fastest animal on Earth. A crow-sized falcon that dives on its prey from above, now nesting on cathedral towers and tower blocks as well as sea cliffs.
When to see a peregrine falcon
All year, mostly at dawn, by day and at dusk.
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Time of day
- Dawn
- Day
- Dusk
- Night
Where to see a peregrine falcon in the UK
- The Pembrokeshire coast. Sea-cliff pairs at Marloes, Martin's Haven and around Skomer hunt over the sea and island.
Peregrine falcon facts at a glance
- Best time
- Any daylight hour; look for it on tall buildings and cliffs, best on bright days February–June.
- Where in the game
- Millbrook (urban, churchyard, farmland and canal) and the Pembrokeshire coast (sea cliff, clifftop and island)
- Size
- Length 40–54 cm (females bigger)
- Wingspan
- About 1.2 m
- Weight
- About 890 g (BTO adult average; males lighter)
- Lifespan
- Average about 6 years; the oldest ringed bird lived nearly 22 years (Wildlife Trusts, BTO)
- Population
- About 1,770 pairs in the UK (BTO, 2014 survey), up 22% since 2002
- Status
- Green (Birds of Conservation Concern 5, 2021)
Diet
Mostly birds caught in the air: pigeons, starlings, waders and seabirds.
Habitat
Sea cliffs, crags, quarries and tall buildings and cathedrals; hunts over towns, farmland and the coast.
Breeding
Lays 3–4 eggs on ledges from late March or April; chicks fledge about 40 days after hatching, in June–July; a pair often uses the same ledge for years.
Field signs
- Piles of plucked feathers and pigeon wings under a favourite perch
- Loud, harsh 'kak-kak-kak' calls near a nest
- Sharp 'anchor' silhouette with long pointed wings and short tail
Did you know?
- In a full dive, called a stoop, a peregrine can pass 300 km/h, making it the fastest animal on Earth.
- Peregrines almost vanished from Britain in the 1960s after pesticides such as DDT thinned their eggshells; they have recovered strongly and now nest in cities.
- A peregrine may use the same tall church tower as its ancestors did for generations, and several cathedrals now run nest webcams.
Moments worth waiting for
- The stoop
A peregrine folds its wings and drops like a stone, pulling out inches above a panicking flock. - Food pass
The male arrives with a kill and the female rolls in the air to take it from his talons.
Photo tip
Stay far back with a long lens and watch from where you will not be seen. Dive shots need a fast shutter and tracking autofocus; the perched bird on a sunny ledge is easier.
Be a good naturalist
Never approach a nest: disturbing peregrines at a nest is a criminal offence (Schedule 1), and a scared bird can abandon eggs. Report nest robbing or suspected poisoning to the police.
The law
Schedule 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981: it is an offence to disturb a peregrine at or near its nest, or to take or damage an active nest. Egg-collecting and persecution remain crimes.
