WEBVTT - How Do Peregrine Falcons Work?

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Brainstuff, a production of iHeartRadio, Hey brain Stuff

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<v Speaker 1>Lauren vogelbaumb Here. In two thousand and five, a fellow

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<v Speaker 1>named Ken Franklin of Friday Harbor, Washington, used a computer

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<v Speaker 1>chip to clock the diving speed of one of the

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<v Speaker 1>peregrine falcons he owned by the name of Frightful, a

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<v Speaker 1>six year old bird weighing in at a little over

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<v Speaker 1>two pounds or a little less than one ki low.

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<v Speaker 1>The result the bird dove after prey from about three

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<v Speaker 1>miles in the air or five kilometers, at a speed

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<v Speaker 1>of two hundred and forty two miles an hour. That's

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<v Speaker 1>three hundred and eighty nine kilometers an hour, and with

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<v Speaker 1>that speedy swoop broke a Guinness World record for the

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<v Speaker 1>fastest dive by a bird, furthermore, making the peregrine falcon

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<v Speaker 1>one of the world's fastest animals. Period Referred to as

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<v Speaker 1>global birds, the peagrine falcon can be spotted on every

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<v Speaker 1>continent except Antarctica, traveling long distances between their wintery and

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<v Speaker 1>breeding grounds. Their taxonomical name is Falco peregrinus. Peregrinas means

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<v Speaker 1>traveler in Latin. They're also unofficially known as the great

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<v Speaker 1>footed hawk, the ledge hawk, stonehawk, rock hawk, bullet hawk,

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<v Speaker 1>and wandering falcon. A North American peregrine falcons can be

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<v Speaker 1>migratory or non migratory, with some residing year round in Alaska,

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<v Speaker 1>the Southwest, Midwest, and northeast, while others migrate annually from

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<v Speaker 1>South America and the Gulf Coast to the Alaskan tundra.

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<v Speaker 1>Before the article, this episode is based on Hastuff Works

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<v Speaker 1>spoke by email with Rick Schwortz, a San Diego Zoo

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<v Speaker 1>Global Ambassador. He explained they prefer wide open spaces and

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<v Speaker 1>do well near coasts where shore birds are common, but

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<v Speaker 1>can be found from the tundra to deserts to forests.

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<v Speaker 1>They are strong, efficient flyers and skilled at catching a

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<v Speaker 1>variety of prey. This versatility allows them to live in

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<v Speaker 1>almost any type of climate and habitat. Basically, they can

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<v Speaker 1>live wherever they can find food. A peregrine falcons are

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<v Speaker 1>some of the largest falcons in North America, weighing up

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<v Speaker 1>to three and a half pounds or about one and

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<v Speaker 1>a half kilos, with a wingspan of up to forty

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<v Speaker 1>eight inches and a body length of up to twenty inches.

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<v Speaker 1>That's about one hundred and twenty by fifty centimeters. They

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<v Speaker 1>have long, pointed wings and a long tail. A Schwartz said.

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<v Speaker 1>Adults are blue gray above, with their underside having alternate

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<v Speaker 1>bands of colors, and a dark head with thick sideburns.

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<v Speaker 1>They have sharp yellow talons to catch their prey, and

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<v Speaker 1>as with most raptors, males are smaller than females. A

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<v Speaker 1>pearagrine falcons use those talons and incredible eye sight to

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<v Speaker 1>capture other birds even while in flight. They eat mostly

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<v Speaker 1>other birds, with about four hundred and fifty North American

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<v Speaker 1>species having been documented as prey by the National Wildlife Federation.

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<v Speaker 1>Among them are birds as large as sand hill cranes

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<v Speaker 1>and as small as hummingbirds, as well as shorebirds, ducks, gulls, pigeons,

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<v Speaker 1>and songbirds. They also eat bats, and they often swipe

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<v Speaker 1>fish and rodents from other raptors. A Schwartz said, a

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<v Speaker 1>hunting peregrine typically catches its prey in the air with

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<v Speaker 1>fast pursuits, rapid dives, and other impressive aerial maneuvers for

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<v Speaker 1>which these falcons are known and admired. Peregrine falcons will

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<v Speaker 1>sometimes dismember their prey and eat it in flight, or

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<v Speaker 1>they will land with their prey in a safe spot,

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<v Speaker 1>pluck the feathers and eat. They also have a sharp

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<v Speaker 1>tooth at the end of their beat that they can

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<v Speaker 1>use to sever their prey's neck. They're near the top

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<v Speaker 1>of the food chain, meaning they have very few predators

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<v Speaker 1>except for other large birds of prey like the great

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<v Speaker 1>horned owl. Their speed certainly helps with this, and their

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<v Speaker 1>teardrop shaped body is one of the most aero dynamic

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<v Speaker 1>designs known in nature. In fact, it's been studied and

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<v Speaker 1>copied by airplane manufacturers for decades. A housetuff Work also

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<v Speaker 1>spoke by an email with Nicole Ellis, a pet expert

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<v Speaker 1>and certified trainer. As she said, they are rocketing down

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<v Speaker 1>from the sky is like a blur. The force from

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<v Speaker 1>the air traveling at such a speed would explode the

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<v Speaker 1>bird's lungs, but baffles in the nose prevent this. Just

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<v Speaker 1>another feature that's been studied and used in jet engines.

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<v Speaker 1>Sophisticated membranes in the bird's eyes prevent them from drying

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<v Speaker 1>out so the predator can remain fixed on the target.

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<v Speaker 1>Although these birds aren't necessarily homebodies, they are devoted partners.

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<v Speaker 1>Schwartz said they mate for life and return to the

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<v Speaker 1>same nesting spot each year. When looking for a mate,

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<v Speaker 1>male peregrine falcons have to work hard to impress the

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<v Speaker 1>females and to keep her attention. Males bring females food

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<v Speaker 1>during the courting and nesting season. She frequently takes the

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<v Speaker 1>prey from him while they are both in flight, by

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<v Speaker 1>turning upside down in mid air and grabbing the food

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<v Speaker 1>out of his talons. The peregrine falcon is considered one

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<v Speaker 1>of the world's most common birds of prey. Schwartz explained

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<v Speaker 1>in the mid nineteen hundreds, pesticides had a devastating effect

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<v Speaker 1>on many bird species in North America, including peregrine falcons,

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<v Speaker 1>and their numbers dwindled. Today, thanks to the work of

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<v Speaker 1>the Paragrine Fund and many other organizations, the paragrine is

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<v Speaker 1>listed as a species of Least Concern. However, these birds

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<v Speaker 1>are best appreciated out in nature. A note that it's

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<v Speaker 1>illegal to own any bird of prey in the United States,

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<v Speaker 1>the only exceptions being licensed falconers in all states except

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<v Speaker 1>Hawaii and the District of Columbia. As Schwartz said, acquiring

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<v Speaker 1>a falcon re license in the US requires passing a

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<v Speaker 1>state written test, having equipment and facilities inspected, and serving

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<v Speaker 1>a minimum of two years as an apprentice under a

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<v Speaker 1>licensed Falconer, during which time the apprentice falconer may only

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<v Speaker 1>possess one raptor. Today's episode is based on the article

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<v Speaker 1>The Fast and Furious Peregrine falcon is a midair hunting

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<v Speaker 1>machine on how stuffworks dot Com written by Wendy Bowman.

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<v Speaker 1>Brain Stuff is production of iHeartRadio in partnership with how

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<v Speaker 1>stuffworks dot Com and is produced by Tyler Klang. Four

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<v Speaker 1>more podcasts from my heart Radio, visit the Airheartradio app,

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