Granddad’s Camera
Peregrine falcon, as it appears in the game

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 look

All year, mostly at dawn, day and dusk.

Time of day

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 February to October, day
    A peregrine folds its wings and drops like a stone, pulling out inches above a panicking flock.
  • Food pass April to June, day
    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.

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