October bird of the month: Peregrine Falcon

5 things about Peregrine Falcons

5 things you may or not know about your October bird of the month, the Peregrine Falcon

1. They’re the fastest animals on the planet

Peregrine Falcons are renowned for their speed and agility – but did you know that they’re faster than any animal species?

Peregrine Falcons are formidable hunters, feeding mostly on small to medium-sized birds – although they will also eat large insects and small mammals.

By tucking in their wings, tail and feet, Peregrine Falcons will often hunt in a spectacular high-speed dive called a ‘stoop’: striking and capturing their prey in mid-air by stunning or killing it upon impact.

These remarkable raptors are capable of diving at breakneck speeds of over 320km/hr in pursuit of their prey.

2. They’re found across the globe

Peregrine Falcons are the world’s most widespread raptor species, living and breeding on every continent except Antarctica. They are widespread across Australia and can be found almost anywhere on Earth: from mountains to rainforests, cities to deserts, but they don’t occur in New Zealand. Globally, around 19 subspecies of Peregrine Falcons are recognised.

3. They don’t build their own nests

Like most falcon species, Peregrines do not build their own nests. Instead, they lay their eggs in recesses of cliff ledges, tree hollows or in the abandoned nests of other bird species. They are also well-adapted to life in the city, and will roost and nest on the ledges of tall buildings and bridges.

Once bonded to a nest site, they tend to return to it for life.

4. They fight to the death

Peregrine Falcon pairs mate for life.

During their breeding season, they are fiercely territorial and will aggressively defend their nest site – sometimes killing intruding Peregrine Falcons or other birds that get too close.

Pairs lay a clutch of up to four eggs each season, and in the early nestling stages, the male will bring all the food to the nest for the female (who is much larger and heavier) to feed to their young. Both adults will hunt for their chicks until they’re old enough to fledge, or fly for the first time (typically around 40 days after hatching).

Once the young falcons have fledged, they will remain with their parents for a few months, who will teach them how to hunt and survive on their own. Once they make their first kill, parents will then drive their young away from home to establish their own territories.

Peregrine Falcon alarm call, recorded by Greg McLachlan via xeno-canto 

5. They’re Melbourne celebrities

In Melbourne’s CBD, Peregrine Falcons have been nesting on the ledge of a 34-storey skyscraper since the early 1990s.

The Victorian Peregrine Project (VPP), a member of BirdLife Australia’s Raptor Group, installed nest boxes at the site – and in 2016, a livestream of their nesting season started when the building owners installed a webcam at the site. The popular 367 Collins Street livestream went viral during Covid-19 lockdowns and continues to soar in popularity, with a dedicated Facebook group for falcon watchers now amassing over 51,000 members.

A Peregrine Falcon pair have returned to nest at the site and hatched three chicks, and you can tune into the 24-hour livestream of their nest now.