Falcons: Part IV

Next up, Peregrine Falcon:

Peregrine Falcon

Peregrine Falcon

Juvenile Peregrine Falcon

Birds on a Wire: Peregrine Falcon

The Peregrine Falcon is a beautiful raptor built for speed. They catch medium sized birds, including waterfowl, in the air with swift, spectacular dives called stoops.

The population of Peregrine Falcons was significantly reduced by pesticides during the mid 1900's. After controls of pesticides were initiated, Peregrines were reintroduced in temperate areas throughout the United States with success. The result has been the recovery of Arctic nesting populations as well. 

Peregrine Falcon

Juvenile Peregrine Falcons at Sweetwater Wetlands

A quick trip over to Sweetwater Wetlands was not quite as productive as I had hoped. It may be that I just didn't get there early enough (arrived and 9:45). And it was hot -- 97 degrees hot. However, I did come away with some nice photos of three Juvenile Peregrine Falcons. I did not see either adult. Here are a couple of those photos:

Animal Signs: Peregrine Falcon

Here is a Peregrine Falcon perched on an appropriate sign -- other birds beware!

Peregrine Falcon of High Voltage

The Fastest Creature on Earth: Peregrine Falcon

The Peregrine Falcon is the fastest animal or bird on earth, reaching speeds of up to 242 miles per hour. He eats mostly medium sized birds -- ducks are a favorite prey. The Peregrine is found all over the world, although not abundant in any region. Its breeding range is also wide as it breeds anywhere from the Arctic Tundra to the Tropics. Females are much larger than males.

To watch a Peregrine fly after a duck is an exhilarating experience -- one impossible to photograph since they are so fast.

I like this particular photo because of its detail and clarity:

Peregrine Falcon

National Wildlife Refuges

Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge, California, 1937

The Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge is the headquarters for the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex and is one of six refuges located in the Sacramento Valley of north-central California. The refuge is approximately 90 miles north of Sacramento, adjacent to Interstate 5.

The 10,783-acre refuge consists of about 7,600 acres of intensively managed wetlands, uplands, riparian habitat, and vernal pools. It typically supports wintering populations of more than 600,000 ducks and 200,000 geese. Since more than 95 percent of the wetlands of the central valley have been lost in the last 100 years, and waterfowl have become increasingly dependent upon the refuges of the Sacramento Valley.

The refuge supports several endangered plants and animals, including transplanted colonies of palmate-bracted bird s-beak, several species of fairy shrimp, vernal pool tadpole shrimp, giant garter snake, wintering peregrine falcon, bald eagle, and breeding tricolored blackbird. Resident wildlife includes grebe, heron, blackbird, golden eagle, beaver, muskrat, black-tailed deer, and other species typical of upland and wetland habitats. 

Sacramento NWR is one of my favorites. I have been there many times and am never disappointed. Here are some of my favorite photos:

Sunset

American Bittern and Ring Necked Pheasant

Greater Yellowlegs

Long Billed Curlew

Peregrine Falcon

Ring Necked Pheasant

Sandhill Cranes

Turkey Vulture

White Faced Ibis

Raptors: XVI

My apologies, for missing my posts the last three days. It's the holiday and we had a full house, including our nephew and his wife. But, I've got a bit of a break this morning (it's 5:30) so I'll see if I can get a blog in. Peregrine Falcons are one of the most widespread birds on the planet being found on every continent accept Antarctica. They are stunning to look at and watch. Peregrine Falcons are one of the fastest of all nature's creatures reaching speeds of 200 miles per hour.  Their diet is made up of mid-sized birds for the most part. They have large eyes and very large talons. The draw for them here is (since there is not a lot of water) is mourning doves. Like pigeons in urban areas, the mourning dove probably makes up a significant percentage of its diet. It requires open space in order to hunt, and therefore often hunts over open water, marshes, valleys, ponds, fields, desert, and tundra. It searches for prey either from a high perch or from the air. Once prey is spotted, it begins its stoop, folding back the tail and wings, with feet tucked. The air pressure from a 200 mph dive could possibly damage a bird's lungs, but small bony tubercles on a falcon's nostrils guide the powerful airflow away from the nostrils, enabling the bird to breathe more easily while diving by reducing the change in air pressure. To protect their eyes, the falcons use their third eyelids to spread tears and clear debris from their eyes while maintaining vision. Prey is struck and captured in mid-air; the Peregrine Falcon strikes its prey with a clenched foot, stunning or killing it, then turns to catch it in mid-air. The Peregrine will drop it to the ground and eat it there if it is too heavy to carry. Prey is plucked before consumption.

Peregrine Falcon taken here at The Azure Gate in Tucson

Peregrine Falcon taken at the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge

The Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge is one of my favorite birding spots. It is in the Sacramento Valley and so has many large shallow ponds. It's a haven for waterbirds, and thus birders. Because it attracts thousands of ducks, it is also a haven for the Peregrine Falcon. Christine and watched as this one sat on this telephone pole eyeing which duck he wanted. He then swooped down to one of the ponds, the ducks took off, and like lightening chased and then caught a duck in midair.  

The Peregrine Falcon has been used in falconry for more than 3,000 years, beginning with nomads in central Asia. Due to its ability to dive at high speeds, it was highly sought-after and generally used by experienced falconers.  Also, because it could be trained, Peregrine Falcons have been occasionally used to scare away birds at some airports where there were frequent bird-plane strikes, thus improving air-traffic safety. And, they were used to intercept homing pigeons during World War II.