Peregrine facts - did you know?

 

How many peregrines are there?

When counted in 2002, there were 544 breeding pairs in Scotland, 477 in England, and 264 in Wales.  The UK has approximately 19% of the European population.

What do peregrines look like?

Peregrines are powerful, compact, medium-sized falcons.  They have a dark slate colour, with their upper body dove grey. Underneath, they are a buff/pink colour, spotted and barred with black. Their head has dark cap, with upper cheeks and 'moustache' against white lower cheeks and throat.  There are barred markings on their tails and underwing.  Juveniles are browner, with a cream band on the tail.

Adults have a yellow cere above the beak and a yellow eye ring. Juveniles have a bluish cere and eye ring.

Females are about one third bigger than males, but it's often difficult to tell them apart from a distance.

What do they eat?

Their main diet is other birds.  They catch prey on the wing, reaching speeds greater than 180kph when stooping for a kill.

Where do they nest?

Peregrines have an eyrie, usually on cliffs or craggs, south facing with an overhang for preference.  In cities they are often found on buildings, steeples, pylons etc.  Rather than a nest, the falcons have a scrape, and use their feet to scrape out a shallow bowl on a ledge.

What are their breeding habits?

Peregrines usually pair for life.  A male seeking a mate will put on a courtship display (in which the male brings food for the female) sometime between early March and late April.

Egg laying, clutch size and hatching

Egg laying can happen from mid March to early May. Coastal birds tend to lay earlier than inland birds, and those living at higher latitudes tend to breed later.  Eggs are usually laid at two-day intervals.

The clutch size will vary from two to six eggs, with most clutches containing three or four. Incubation generally lasts between 28 and 35 days, with the female doing most of the incubating.

Chicks will usually hatching between late April and early June and fledge between early June and late July.