THE PEREGRINE FALCON Essays - Falco, Birds Of North America

THE PEREGRINE FALCON Speech topic: The Peregrine Falcon Specific purpose: to inform my audience about the size, appearance, range, hunting and eating habits, and other characteristics. INTRODUCTION ANECDOTE --One afternoon an American pilot stationed in Germany was in a free dive with his jet, engines on but not propelling him downward faster than gravity would allow. He looked out to his side and saw a small bird in a dive nearby. He was surprised to see a bird this close to the plane, but not nearly as surprised as he was when he noticed that it was going faster than him, literally passing him. It was a Peregrine Falcon. BODY I. Falcons are the most streamlined birds of prey. A. The Peregrine Falcon has been determined to be the fastest moving animal known to man. 1. It has been clocked electronically traveling at 217 miles per hour in a dive of 45 degrees in Germany. 2. It has been calculated that a Peregrine may be able to reach speeds upwards of 250 miles per hour in a vertical stoop, or dive. 3. The Peregrine's ability to reach such speeds poses more problems than one might think. It does not merely have to be streamlined; the bones, sinews, and muscles must be able to withstand the forces put upon them during maneuvering and braking and its senses must be highly refined and its reactions quick. 4. It also has to breathe during its dives. For this its nostrils are modified so that the flow of air is broken up with a ridge around the nostril, a rod inside it, and two fins at the end of the rod allowing it to breathe easily. A similar structure is found in most other fast flying birds of prey. B. The Peregrine Falcon shares its characteristics with 52 other species of falcon worldwide. Five of them are found on the east coast, the American Kestrel, the Merlin, the Prairie Falcon, the Gyrfalcon, and the Peregrine Falcon. 1. Falcons have pointed wings and narrow, longish tails. 2. They also fly with quick wingbeats similar to those of a pigeon. 3. They all hunt in a similar manner, diving at their prey from above. II. The Peregrine's speed makes it a dangerous predator. A. Prey is caught after a swift dive with nearly closed wings and is either killed in the air by being struck at about half of its top diving speed with the talons or is carried to the ground and killed. B. They also sweep birds from their perches or from the ground, as evident from their occasional thefts of poultry C. Peregrines feed mainly on birds but also on mammals such as young hares and mice and occasionally amphibians and insects. D. Because of its size, 15-20", about the size of a crow, pigeons are a favorite prey, grouse are often caught on moors, and seabirds usually around cliffs. E. After catching their prey, it is taken to a special feeding place where it is plucked before being eaten. F. The Peregrine's hunting ability is also used to keep other birds away from airfields. G. In the Arabian deserts, trained Peregrines are even flown at such birds as large as buzzards, often times killing up to seven or eight of them a day, to keep them off certain areas of property. III. The Peregrine is found all over the world. A. Most often the Peregrine lives in rocky mountainous areas or along the coastline on sea cliffs, where its appearance blends in best. 1. Its patterns and coloration are clear indicators of its species. a. The most striking characteristic, the main indicator of the Peregrine, are its heavy, slate-blue to black "sideburns," which probably absorb light so as to minimize the glare from the ground, enabling it to see its prey more clearly. b. The adults are slaty-backed, and barred and spotted on white below. c. The young birds are brown and heavily streaked, rather than barred and spotted. B. Sometimes they are found in forests, on open plains, and on moors. C. More recently they have been introduced to and/or nested on their own on the ledges of skyscrapers, cathedrals, or other tall buildings in urban areas. IV. Peregrines mate for life and use the same nest site year after year. A. Each pair