The Peregrine Falcon is the Fastest Bird in the USA
The peregrine falcon is considered the fastest bird in the United States and North America. With its pointed wings and streamlined body, the peregrine is specialized for speed and can reach speeds of over 200 mph when diving after prey. No other North American bird comes close to matching the peregrine falcon’s maximum velocity.
Peregrine Falcons Have Unique Adaptations for Speed
Peregrine falcons have several unique anatomical and physiological adaptations that allow them to reach such high speeds.
Their wings are long and tapered, which reduces drag and allows them to cut through the air more efficiently. The wingspan of a peregrine falcon ranges from about 3 to 4 feet, which is large relative to their body size.
Peregrines also have a streamlined body shape with a small rounded head and teardrop-shaped tail, further enhancing their aerodynamic profile. Their nostrils and ears are slit-like in shape and help reduce turbulence while diving.
In addition, peregrines have a notched beak that acts like a ram-air inlet. At high speeds, this notch helps channel more air directly into the respiratory system, allowing peregrines to breathe more efficiently while in a stoop or dive.
Another key adaptation is the higher density of red blood cells in a peregrine’s circulatory system compared to many other bird species. The increased number of red blood cells helps transport more oxygen throughout the body during high-speed chases or dives.
Finally, peregrine falcons have powerful flight muscles attached to a large keeled sternum (breastbone). This gives them incredible flight power and stamina to sustain fast forward flight and sudden high-velocity stoops after prey.
Peregrines Use Their Speed While Hunting
Peregrine falcons primarily use their speed and agility when pursuing prey in flight. They mainly feed on other birds such as pigeons, doves, waterfowl, songbirds, and shorebirds.
When hunting, peregrines will perch high on ledges, cliffs, or tall urban structures and watch for potential prey flying below. Once they spot a target, they enter into a steep high-speed dive known as a stoop.
As they drop into a stoop, peregrines can reach speeds of over 200 mph aided by gravity. This makes them the fastest animal on earth in level flight. Right before impact, they strike out with their talons and kill or incapacitate their prey in mid-air.
The impact typically breaks the neck of the smaller bird if it is not already killed by the sheer force. The peregrine then circles back around to collect the dead or injured prey item either in flight or after it lands on the ground.
Peregrines mostly use their stooping ability on other bird species. But they occasionally hunt rabbits, rodents, bats, and some other animals by stooping down on them from the air.
No other bird in North America comes close to reaching the stoop speeds of peregrine falcons. This makes them uniquely specialized for high speed aerial predation compared to hawks, eagles, and other raptors.
Fastest Recorded Speeds
While estimates run as high as 240 mph or more, the highest measured speed for a peregrine falcon in a stoop is still astonishing.
According to a study published in the Journal of Experimental Biology in 2016, peregrines were observed reaching speeds of up to 242 mph while diving.
The researchers measured the speeds using specialized GPS dataloggers that were attached to wild peregrines trained for falconry. This provided an accurate measurement of velocity during real-world hunting scenarios.
In another scientific paper from the 1990s, biologists reported peregrines reaching 188 mph in a stoop, although academics have cited methodological concerns with the way the speed was measured in that particular study.
So while we don’t know the absolute maximum speed limit of peregrines, the most recent research confirms their ability to exceed 200 mph and potentially reach240+ mph under the right conditions.
No other bird that regularly occurs in North America has been measured to exceed 100 mph in level flight. Even the swift and nimble hummingbird only reaches top speeds of around 60 mph.
How Do Peregrine Falcons Compare to Other Birds Worldwide?
The peregrine falcon is considered the fastest bird species worldwide in its hunting stoop. No other bird on earth has conclusively been measured flying faster in a dive.
However, some other birds may give peregrines a run for their money in terms of absolute maximum speed capability.
Most notably, the Eurasian hobby and Australian little falcon may reach somewhat similar speeds. The hobby has been reported to dive at speeds exceeding 190 mph.
Additionally, a few seabird species like the great skua and the swift are also adept at high-speed plunging and pursuit of prey. But their top velocities likely fall short of the velocities attained by peregrines and some falcons.
For straight line level flight, the title of fastest bird worldwide is often given to members of the swift family. Some swifts have been measured at 100+ mph in direct horizontal flight. For example, the white-throated needletail swift has been reported flying at speeds up to 105 mph.
However, sustained horizontal flight and hunting stoops are very different flight behaviors. Over short distances, peregrines can accelerate and reach much faster speeds using gravity to their advantage. This sets them apart from all other bird species globally.
Where Peregrine Falcons Live in North America
Peregrine falcons are found throughout much of North America from tundra regions to tropics. They can be found year-round in certain areas but are completely migratory in other parts of their range.
In the United States, peregrines breed in mountainous habitats from coast to coast. They nest on tall cliff ledges and increasingly on inner-city buildings and bridges. Major urban centers like New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles now host sizable peregrine populations.
Some peregrines that nest further north in Canada and Alaska migrate down to wintering sites that extend as far south as Argentina and Chile. They tend to migrate through areas east of the Rocky Mountains such as along the Mississippi River system.
On the Pacific Coast, peregrines often winter from British Columbia down into Mexico. They are adapted to diverse landscapes including wetlands, grasslands, deserts, and both coastal and inland mountains during the non-breeding season.
Peregrines also make home in a variety of habitats while breeding. Nest sites are typically chosen near open areas that support large populations of the bird species they prey upon.
Conservation Status of Peregrine Falcons
Peregrine falcons experienced significant population declines in North America and elsewhere during the mid 20th century. The widespread use of organochlorine pesticides like DDT during this period accumulated in the food chain and caused eggshell thinning, leading to poor reproduction.
In the 1960s and 70s, there were estimated to be less than 450 nesting pairs of peregrines left in the entire United States. The species was listed as Endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act in 1970.
After restrictions were implemented on DDT and other toxic chemicals in the 1970s, peregrine populations began a rapid rebound. They were removed from the U.S. Endangered Species list in 1999 after reaching sustainable numbers.
There are now believed to be around 3,500 breeding pairs across the U.S. and over 100,000 individuals globally. Thanks to significant conservation efforts, the peregrine falcon has recovered across most of its range.
While no longer threatened with extinction, peregrines still face some ongoing threats. Continued protection of nest sites and regulation of environmental contaminants remain important for the continued success of these remarkable high-speed birds.
Characteristics of Peregrine Falcons
Beyond its speed, the peregrine falcon exhibits many other notable physical traits and behaviors.
In terms of appearance, peregrines have blue-gray upperparts and a barred pattern across their undersides. They have a trademark black “helmet” on their heads and conspicuous black malar stripes down their cheeks.
Female peregrines are significantly larger than males, a trait known as reverse sexual dimorphism. Females weigh around 2 pounds compared to just over 1 pound for males.
Peregrines have extremely sharp talons used for striking and gripping prey. Their long tails provide agility and steerability when diving and chasing through the air at high velocities.
Unlike many raptors, peregrines do not build their own nests. They use abandoned stick nests of other birds like crows, ravens, or hawks. Some will simply scrape out a nest depression on a wide cliff ledge.
Peregrines are ferocious defenders of their nest sites. They will aggressively dive bomb potential predators, sometimes striking them with their feet to drive them away from the area.
When hunting, peregrines survey the landscape from high perches and watch for prey activity. In cities, they often observe pigeons from office towers or transmission towers overlooking parks.
Peregrines are courageous hunters, even going after birds larger than themselves. They have been recorded preying on ducks, gulls, herons, sandpipers, plovers, and even smaller raptors.
Most active in the early morning and evening, peregrines can hunt at any time of day depending on food availability and weather conditions. Their superb aerial abilities make them a dynamic predator able to flourish across diverse landscapes.
