Sokal peregrine falcon

Falcon peregrine (Falco peregrinus) is a bird-predator, a representative of the falcon family. Distributed, except Antarctica, on all continents. The size of a bird with a gray crow. Plumage of the back is dark, slate-gray, the belly is light, the upper part of the head is black. A distinctive feature is the black "mustache." In accordance with the color and size of the body, about seventeen subspecies are distinguished.

This bird is considered the fastest in the world. The speed of Peregrine Falcon during the attack can reach more than three hundred and twenty kilometers per hour (90 meters per second). A bird during a hunt is planning in the sky or sitting on an estate. Noticing the prey, the Peregrine Falcon rises above it and almost immediately at a right angle it dives swiftly down. With his paws he strikes the victim on the tangent. In some cases, it strikes so hard with claws that even a fairly large game can fly off its head.

As a rule, a falcon of peregrine fowl hunts medium-sized birds. These include pigeons, ducks, starlings, water and water representatives. In rare cases, the objects may be small mammals.

At the age of two, the birds have sexual maturity. Educated couples are preserved throughout their lives. Peregrine falcon, the nesting place of which can be found most often on tops of ridges, on rocky cliffs, is considered a rare bird. In some cases, it nests on bumps of marshes or on stone structures, in particular, on roofs, belfries, benches of high-rise buildings, on bridges and other structures.

After the end of World War II, the population began to decline substantially. To a greater extent this was due to the economic use of pesticides (DDT and others), which adversely affected the development of embryos. Due to the ban on the use of pesticides in the 1970s, as well as after the introduction of environmental programs, the bird population began to recover in many countries around the world. Falcon Peregrine Falcons are included in the Russian Red Book as a small species. In addition, this species is included in Annex I of CITES, which prohibits the trade of these birds worldwide.

The length of the body of peregrine is from thirty-four to fifty centimeters. The wingspan ranges from eighty to one hundred and twenty centimeters. Like other predator birds, females of peregrine are much larger than males and weigh about 900-1500 grams. In this case, males weigh from 440 to 750 grams. They have the same color.

In general, the peregrine falcon has a strong physique, which is characteristic of active predator birds. His chest is wide enough with bulging and firm muscles. Fingers strong enough with nails steeply bent and sharp. The beak is short, bent by a sickle. At the end of the supraclue, there are prongs, by means of which the falcon bites the spine in the neck area of the victim.

The ends of the wings are black. As a rule, the abdomen is light. In accordance with the habitat, it can have a greyish-white, reddish, pinkish or ohristy tinge. On the breast of the peregrine falcon-like pestriny. The bird has a comparatively long tail, narrow and rounded at the end. In the lower part it is black with a small white stripe at the end. Like the "mustache", the upper part of the head is black, the lower part and throat are reddish or white. On the upper part of the body there are fuzzy transverse strips of dark color.

The falcon's eyes are large, dark brown, convex, surrounded by a yellowish ring of bare skin.

The inner toe is much shorter than the outer toe, and the middle finger is longer than the foreleg.

Young individuals have slightly less contrasting plumage. The upper part of the torso is brown, the lower part is lighter. Young birds have more longitudinal pestrin, while in adult birds - more transverse.