are quick, large predatory raptors. The falcon’s strong, sharp yellow talons allow it to capture other birds, even while in flight.falcons can be hard to identify because of their quick flight and camouflage coloring. The wings and tail are bluish-gray, while the back and head are a darker brown.
Sometimes the cheeks can have a dark brown tear-shaped mark. The bird’s chin and neck are white, and each eye is surrounded by a yellow circle. Dark-brown bars run across its white chest. If the wings are open, dark brown bars across the wings are also visible. Peregrine falcons are about 1.5 feet (0.4 meters) tall with a wingspan of 3.5 feet (one meter).
Peregrine falcons eat mostly other birds. They consume a variety of species—about 450 North American species have been documented as prey, and the number worldwide may be as many as 2,000. Birds as large as sandhill cranes, and as small as hummingbirds, have been consumed by falcons. Their typical prey items include shorebirds, ducks, grebes, gulls, pigeons, and songbirds. Peregrine falcons also eat bats, and they occasionally steal prey—including fish and rodents—from other raptors.
Birds of prey are the predators of the sky. Whether stooping from high altitudes at phenomenal speeds or silently moving through the trees, these unique animals capture our imagination and claim our admiration. Each species is specially adapted to hunting in its own particular ecological niche. Their bodies and senses have evolved to be fit for one purpose – predation.
