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Peregrine Falcon Characteristics
The
peregrine falcon, similar in size to the Cooper's hawk, has heavy stripes
on its sides, a black to slate-blue coloration on its back and barred
wing and tail feathers. Its head, smaller than that of a hawk, has a
black cap.
Once fairly common, this magnificent bird began disappearing
in the 1930s when their eggs were decimated by egg
collectors who pillaged their nests in the remote breeding cliffs in
the northeast. Pesticides used following World War
II affected the thickness of the bird's egg shells, which became so
thin that they broke when a parent tried to incubate them.
The peregrine does not soar or glide in the air currents
like many other migrating species. Instead, it relies on its own
wing power to achieve the heights where it
is able to survey the sky and land below.
It will circle for a short period, then quickly wing
to another survey station waiting for small ducks, starlings, pigeons
and other game birds of a similar size to come into the open.
What made the peregrine so suitable for falconry is
that these falcons preferred to seize other birds that were still in
flight, instead of waiting for them to land. A peregrine will
circle at a very high altitude. Once its prey is located,
the falcon closes its wings and crash-dives into it.
Where
To See Migrating Hawks in Florida
What Is A Kettle of
Hawks?
Florida
Fall Hawks Migrations
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