Peregrine Falcon

A powerful, crow-sized falcon famed for hunting other birds in mid-air.

Found on nearly every continent, it favours cliffs, river valleys and, increasingly, tall city buildings as nesting sites.

Body length runs 34–58cm with a 74–120cm wingspan; females are noticeably larger than males.

Its hunting stoop can exceed 300km/h, making it the fastest animal on Earth.

Urban populations feed heavily on feral pigeons.

Pairs mate for life and return to the same nest site each year.

Nearly wiped out by DDT in the mid-20th century, the species has recovered fully since the pesticide ban and is now rated Least Concern.