Peregrine falcon brief description. Bird of prey of the falcon family - peregrine falcon: flight speed

I am Peregrine Thirty-Sixth - a large and strong dog of a rare breed

red-sand suit, four years old, and weigh about six and a half

pounds. Last spring in someone else's huge barn, Ged us dogs were locked

heavy yellow cake, and everyone praised me.

However, the cake did not smell of anything.

I am medelyan. You should say "weeks". In deep antiquity for the people of times

a week of fun was arranged: bears were pitted against strong dogs. My

ancestor Sapsan II in the presence of the formidable Tsar John IV, taking

vulture bear "in place" by the throat, threw him to the ground, Ged he was

pinned by the chief royal kennel. In honor and memory of his best of my ancestors

were named Sapsan. Such a pedigree can boast of a few salaried

graphs. What brings me closer to the descendants of ancient human families is that the blood

ours, according to knowledgeable people, is blue. The name is Sapsan -

Kyrgyz, which means it is a hawk.

The first being in the whole world is the Master. I'm not his slave at all, not even

a servant, and not a watchman, as others think, but a friend and patron. People these walking

on their hind legs, naked animals wearing other people's skins, ridiculously awkward and

defenseless. But on the other hand, they possess some incomprehensible for us wonderful and

a little terrible power, and most of all - the Master. I love this one in it

strange power, and he appreciates in me strength, dexterity, courage and intelligence. So are we

The owner is ambitious. When we walk side by side along the street - I'm at his right

legs, - flattering remarks are always heard behind us: "That's so doggie ...

The owner to understand that I hear these praises and that I know to whom they refer. But I

I feel how his funny, naive, proud

joy. Freak. Let it be fun. I like him even more with his little ones.

weaknesses.

I am strong. I am stronger than all dogs in the world. They will know it from a distance

my smell, my looks, my eyes. I see their souls lying in the distance

in front of me on their backs, with their paws raised up. Strict dog rules

martial arts forbid me to touch a surrendered man, and I cannot find myself

a worthy opponent for a good fight... And how sometimes you want... However,

the big tiger dog from the next street stopped leaving the house at all after

how I taught him a lesson for impoliteness. Passing by the fence behind which he

lived, I no longer smell his scent and never hear his barking from afar.

People are not. They always crush the weak. Even the Master, the kindest of

sometimes he beats people like that - not at all loud, but cruel - with the words of others,

small and cowardly, which makes me ashamed and sorry. I poke softly

into his hand with his nose, but he does not understand and brushes it off.

We, dogs, in the sense of guessing thoughts are seven and many times thinner

of people. To understand each other, people need external differences, words,

inner instinct. I feel in secret, unknown, trembling ways, how their

souls blush, turn pale, tremble, envy, love, hate. When the host

not at home, I know from afar: happiness or misfortune befell him, And I rejoice or

They say about us: such and such a dog is good, such and such is evil. No. Angry or

only a person is kind, brave or cowardly, trusting or secretive. And by

him and the dogs living with him under the same roof.

I will let people pet me. But I prefer if they give me

open hand. I don't like claws up. Years of canine experience

teaches that a stone can lurk in it (the smaller daughter of the Master, my favorite,

cannot pronounce "stone", but says "cabin"). A stone is a thing that

flies far, hits well and hits hard. I have seen this on others.

dogs. Of course, no one dared to throw a stone at me!

What nonsense do people say that dogs can't stand human

glance. I can look into the Master's eyes for a whole evening without looking up. But

we dogs avert our eyes from a sense of disgust. For most people, even

in the young, the look is tired, dull and angry, just like in the old, sick, nervous,

spoiled husky pugs. But in children, the eyes are clean, clear and trusting.

When children caress me, I can hardly keep from licking.

one of them right in the pink muzzle. But the owner does not allow, but

sometimes even threaten with a whip. Why? I do not understand. Even he has his

oddities.

About the bone. Who doesn't know that this is the most fascinating thing in the world.

The veins, the inside is spongy, tasty, soaked in the brain. Over another

entertaining mosolok you can willingly work hard from breakfast to

lunch. And I think so: a bone is always a bone, even the most used one, and

therefore, it is never too late to have fun with it. And so I bury it in

land in the garden or vegetable garden. In addition, I reflect: there was meat on it and

he is not here; why, if he is not, he should not be again?

And if anyone - a man, a cat or a dog - passes by the place,

where it is buried, I get angry and growl. Will they suddenly guess? But more often than not, I forget

place, and then I am out of sorts for a long time.

A fluffy cat "Katya" lives in our house, an unusually important and

cheeky creature. She carries herself so arrogantly, as if the whole house and everything

in the house - people and things - belongs to her. She always rushes at other people's dogs

the first, clinging to the muzzle. She and I live together, in the evening, when I

bring my bowl of oatmeal and bones, I willingly let her come over and

clap with me. But the agreement: do not touch the bones. And she remembers it well

after one day I yelled at her very loudly. But I keep

agreement: do not touch the cat's milk! However, I don't like to play with her.

It will certainly be forgotten in the game and scratch my nose. And I can't stand this.

I sneeze for a long time and rub my nose with my paws.

The other day, Little One called me to her room, to the nursery and opened the locker. There

on the bottom shelf lay our cat on its side, and it was sucked by a whole bunch of funny

blind kittens. "Really, peregrine falcon, how delightful are they?" - told me

Small.

Truth. I really liked them. Two or three I sniffed, licked and

turned his nose from his belly to his back. They squeaked like mice and were warm.

and soft, helpless and angry. Worried, the cat raised its head and

step on them with your paw, you're so big."

Here is stupid. I don't know for sure?

Today the Boss took me to visit a house where we had never been before.

There I saw a wonderful miracle: not a puppy, but a real adult dog, but

so small that it would easily fit in a mole of closed mouth, and

there would still be enough room for her to circle around herself,

before lying down. All of her, with her thin, shaky legs and wet

bulging black eyes, looked like some kind of shaking spider, but -

To be frank, I have never met a more ferocious creature. About Us

violently attacked me and screamed piercingly: "Get out of my

Houses! Out this very minute! Otherwise, I'll tear you to pieces! I'll rip off my tail and head!

Out! You smell like the street!" And she added a few more words like this,

what... I got scared, tried to get under the sofa, but only the head went through, and

the sofa went on the floor, then I huddled in a corner. The owner laughed. I looked at

him reproachfully. After all, he himself knows very well that I will not back down before

horse, not before a bull, not before a bear. Simply - I was amazed and

I was horrified that this tiny doggy lump was spewing such

huge amount of anger.

After the Master of all, the little one is closest to my dog's heart - that's what I call

his daughter. I would not forgive anyone but her if they decided to drag me

by the tail and by the ears, sit on me astride or harness me to a wagon. But I am everything

I endure and, pretending to, squeal like a three-month-old puppy. And I'm happy

sometimes she lies motionless in the evenings, when, having run over during the day, she suddenly

doze off on the carpet with her head resting on my side. And she when we

play, also not offended if I sometimes wag my tail and knock her off her feet.

Sometimes we drive with her, and she starts to laugh. I love it very much

but I can't do it myself. Then I jump up with all four paws and bark loudly, like

only can. And they usually drag me out by the collar into the street. Why?

In the summer there was such a case in the country. The little one could barely walk and was

preposteshnaya. We were walking together. She, me and the nanny. Suddenly everyone rushed about - people

and animals. In the middle of the street ran a dog, black, with white spots, with

head down, tail hanging, covered in dust and foam. Nanny ran away

squeal. The little one sat down on the ground and cried. The dog was running straight at us. AND

From this dog, even from afar, a sharp smell of madness immediately wafted over me and

boundless fury. From horror, all the hair on me reared up, but I

overcame himself and blocked the body of Little.

It was no longer single combat, but death to one of us. I shrunk, waited

a brief, precise moment, and with one leap knocked the motley to the ground. Then raised

by the scruff of the neck into the air and shook it. She lay down on the ground motionless, flat and

now it's not scary at all. But Little was very frightened. I brought her

home. All the way she held my ear and snuggled up to me, I

felt her little body tremble.

Don't be afraid, my little one. When I'm with you, then not a single animal, not a single

no one in the world would dare to offend you.

I do not like moonlit nights, and I have an unbearable desire to howl when I look

On sky. It seems to me that someone big is looking out from there, bigger than himself.

The Master, the one whom the Master so incomprehensibly calls "Eternity" or otherwise. Then

I vaguely foresee that my life will someday end, as it ends

life of dogs, beetles and plants. Will the Master come to me before the end?

I do not know. I would like it very much. But even if he does not come - my

The last thought will still be about Him.

The peregrine falcon belongs to the falcon family. This predatory representative of the flora is distributed throughout the globe with the exception of Antarctica. It is not for nothing that the peregrine falcon is called the fastest of all living creatures - it can dive at a speed of 300 km / h.

The peregrine falcon belongs to the falcon family.

bird features

In the family of falcons, the peregrine falcon shares the first line of popularity with the gyrfalcon. The bird is similar in size to a crow. The body length of males is about 50 cm, but females are slightly larger - about 70 cm. The weight of an adult male can reach 1 kg, and an adult female - 1.5 kg. The wingspan in flight in an adult is from 80 to 120 cm. The body of the bird is well developed. Even under the cover of feathers, muscles and a wide chest are visible.

The short tail and wide wings allow the falcon to dive and overtake the prey. Ornithologists believe that nature has created a peregrine falcon “an ideal killing machine”: a sharp beak and long strong paws with clawed fingers in flight simply rip apart the body of the victim. The color of the bird is also interesting. Young individuals are colored brown, and the lower part is light gray. But with age, the color intensifies and turns into a slate gray with black tints. The breast can become pinkish, yellow and gray-white. The color depends on the habitat. In addition, dark blotches are scattered throughout the plumage.

However, hunters all over the world appreciate this fastest living creature not for beauty, but for speed. The peregrine falcon is a cunning and ruthless adversary. During the hunt, he soars above the ground and looks out for the victim, because nature has endowed him with very sharp eyesight. The falcon feeds on pigeons, gulls, sparrows.

Quite often, a predator can grab a bird from the ground that is larger than it in size - a heron, duck or goose. Occasionally, falcons hunt even small rodents, but they do not touch large mammals.

And yet, the peregrine falcon's favorite hunt is aerial. Looking out for prey, the bird develops a speed of up to 110 km / h. And although swifts, swallows and other birds fly at the same speed, the secret of the falcon is a sharp deadly dive. He dives on his prey at a speed of 250 to 300 km / h, and then hits her with his paws and beak. Interestingly, a diving bird does not suffocate only due to the special structure of the nasal septum. In it, the air flow slows down, and therefore the catcher does not even notice that he is rushing at great speed.

The peregrine falcon is a bird of prey. This bird is recognized as the fastest bird in the world and a living creature in general. Since it is capable of speeds up to 320 km / h or 90 m / second in a fall from a height onto a victim! Horizontal flight is not so fast and is only 120 km / h.

Species: Peregrine falcon

Genus: Falcons

Family: Falcons

Class: Birds

Order: Falconiformes

Type: Chordates

Kingdom: Animals

Domain: Eukaryotes

peregrine falcon anatomy

The size of the peregrine falcon is quite small - an adult reaches up to 50 cm in length, and its weight ranges from 750 g to 1.5 kg. At the same time, male peregrine falcons are smaller than females. The back, rump and wings are dark gray with gray-blue stripes, the belly is lighter, but with dark longitudinal stripes. The head and stripe running from the beak ("whiskers") are black. The beak is yellow at the base and the tip of the beak is black. 17 species of peregrine falcons are distinguished by size and types of coloring.

Peregrine falcons have rather large eyes. There is no feathering around the eyes and yellow skin around the eyes can be seen. The iris is dark brown. Vision is very good, there is a third eyelid that protects the predator's eyes.

In the region of the mandible, the bird has teeth, with the help of which the peregrine falcon can bite through the spine of the victim. On the beak itself, there are two tubercles near the nostrils, which help it breathe easily during a rapid fall, directing the air to the side. The bird also has thick and strong legs. Each finger has a sharp claw. All these features of the body structure allow the peregrine falcon to be considered the fastest and most dangerous bird of prey.

Where does the peregrine falcon live?

Peregrine falcons can be found on all continents of the planet except Antarctica.

What does the peregrine falcon eat?

The main food of peregrine falcons are medium-sized birds such as pigeons, ducks, starlings, magpies, thrushes and other species. Less commonly, it may feed on small mammals, such as hares, squirrels, ground squirrels, snakes, voles, etc.

peregrine falcon lifestyle

For most of the year, peregrine falcons lead a solitary lifestyle. Peregrine falcons choose one pair for life. Nests are built at a height. They can be located on rocky cliffs, tall trees, tall stone buildings or bridges.

Peregrine falcon video

The peregrine falcon hunts most often in the morning or in the evening, using two methods - either sitting on a perch or diving high in the sky in search of a victim. As soon as the victim is discovered, the peregrine falcon rises high above it and almost at a right angle with a lightning speed of up to 320 km / h falls on it with paws pressed to the body. The blow is crushing.

peregrine falcon breeding

When the couple is already created, the marriage period begins. Birds choose a territory that is jealously guarded from other birds. Acrobatic pirouettes begin with the transfer of food to the female in flight. The female lays eggs in April. In one clutch from 2 to 5 eggs. Both parents incubate the eggs for approximately 35 days. The eggs have a red shell with dark spots. Chicks hatch already in fluff and from the first days they eat meat. But still, at first they require heating by adults.

Female and male feeding their chicks fresh meat. A month later, the chicks are covered with feathers. But even when the chicks themselves begin to hunt, the parents still feed them, as the art of swift flight requires time and dexterity. Peregrine falcons reach puberty in a year, and pairs begin to create after 2 years of life. Life expectancy averages 15 years. These birds are listed in the Red Book.

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The falcon is a diurnal bird of prey from the falconiformes order, the falcon family (lat. Falconidae).

Initially, in Russia, falcons were called gyrfalcons. The origin of the word is interpreted in different ways. According to I. G. Lebedev and V. M. Konstantinov, it arose from the Proto-Slavic combination so-kol: "so": in the meaning of "like, similar", "kol" - "sun, circle", which generally translates " like the sun, sun-like." Indeed, many European and other peoples of the world associated this bird with the sun god. The word gyrfalcon comes from the onomatopoeic Proto-Slavic "falcon", which means "crack, groan, scream."

Of the 11 genera of the falcon family, 6 of them belong to falcons, the rest belong to different kinds caracars.

1. Laughing Falcons, or Laughing Falcons (lat. herpetotheres) - so named for a kind of cry.
2. Forest falcons (lat. Micrastur) .
3. American pygmy falcons (lat. . Spiziapteryx).
4. Small falcons (lat. Polihierax) .
5. pygmy falcons, or crumb falcons (lat. Microhierax).
6. Falcons (lat. falco) - the name of the genus comes from the Latin "falx", meaning "sickle", which indicates the peculiar shape of the wings of birds, clearly visible in flight. To emphasize their special position, in many sources the genus is called True Falcons.

falcon breeding

Falcons are birds that tend to form pairs, and their marriage ceremony involves display flights. Male and female can rush down, grappling with claws, and fly like this for about 10 meters. In addition, the male presents his girlfriend with a gift in his beak.

Falcons often build their own nests, but sometimes they occupy ready-made buildings of other birds of prey or corvids. Sometimes they take the houses from the owners by force. Small representatives can live in natural tree hollows, depressions, niches, or in artificial nests. Falcons settle on rocks, cliffs, trees, in burrows, on tall buildings, in independently dug holes in the ground. Places for laying eggs of a bird are most often not lined with anything. At the bottom is only their droppings, food debris and fallen off feathers.

The nest of the Aleutian (black) falcon (lat. Falco peregrinus pealei). Photo credit: Cephas, CC BY-SA 3.0

Females lay from 1 to 6 round white eggs, decorated with red-brown specks. Large falcons usually have a small clutch. The eggs are incubated by the female, although the male occasionally replaces her for a short while. Hatching lasts a month. Sometimes parents make mistakes with time and can only successfully incubate the first chicks, since the interval between laying eggs is 1-2 days.

Left photo: Gyrfalcon egg (lat. Falco rusticolus), photo by Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0. Center photo: Falco vespertinus egg, photo by Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0. Right photo: Common kestrel (lat. Falco tinnunculus) egg, photo by Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 3.0.

1. Laughing falcons, or gull falcons, do not build nests themselves, but occupy empty hollows, nests of other birds of prey and rock crevices. They lay 1-2 eggs, which are incubated only by the female. The male carries food to the female and chicks while they are still small. Incubation lasts 40-65 days. Both parents then bring food. The chicks leave the nest 8 weeks after hatching.
2. forest falcons make masonry in tree cavities, hollows, caves, rock crevices, abandoned houses. During the dry period, they lay 2-3 white eggs, incubating them during the rainy season for 33-48 days.
3. Ecology American pygmy falcons poorly studied.
4. small falcons occupy other people's nests, most often built by weavers. In their clutch there are 2-3 eggs covered with a white shell.
5. pygmy falcons, or baby falcons, often build nests in hollows, lay white eggs. The African Pygmy Falcon nests in the nests of social weavers.
6. :
   • kestrels nest on rocks, in burrows on the ground, in trees, including hollows, along cliffs. Clutch contains 4-6 yellow-brown eggs covered with rusty spots;
   • the gyrfalcon does not build nests, takes them away from buzzards or ravens, lines them with dry grass, moss and feathers;
   • the red-footed falcon settles in the abandoned nests of magpies and crows, less often in hollows and niches. The female lays up to 6 eggs and incubates them. The male takes care of the girlfriend, feeds her;
   • falcons need space and a reservoir nearby to hatch chicks. They nest more often on ledges of rocks at a height of 20-80 m from the ground, in the tundra: along the banks of water bodies or rocky outcrops. Rarely, they occupy the nests of other birds. The Mexican falcon can also nest on the ground. The female lays 2 to 5 reddish or brownish-red eggs with darker specks.

Falcons reach sexual maturity by the age of one year. Young falcons have broader wings due to the development of flight feathers. This prevents them from hunting, but it helps to learn how to fly.

Peregrine falcon cubs (lat. Falco peregrinus). Photo by: Metropolitan Transportation Authority of the State of New York, CC BY 2.0

What does a falcon eat?

Prey of raptors is dominated by rodents, lizards, birds and large insects. Also, falcons can eat snakes, frogs, sometimes fish. Large species prey on medium-sized mammals: ground squirrels, hares. Usually falcons catch prey in flight, overtake a flying or running prey in a throw. Small animals are seized with a beak, large animals are stunned or killed with a blow of claws.

Laughing falcons(laughing falcons) are gourmets, they hunt snakes, more often poisonous, lizards, small rodents, bats and wood lice, and are also fishermen.

forest falcons they eat small birds, they know how to lure individuals of the passerine family with characteristic sounds. They also catch lizards and rodents.

American pygmy falcons love to eat insects, small birds and lizards.

small falcons They feed mainly on large insects, less often on lizards, snakes and small birds.

pygmy falcons, or baby falcons, catch small prey on the fly or from a perch, looking out for it from the tops of tall trees. They eat butterflies, dragonflies, large beetles, termites, grasshoppers, small birds, mice, lizards.

• kestrels on the hunt look out during a fluttering flight or from a perch of small birds and large insects (dragonflies, beetles, crickets, locusts, grasshoppers, bears). They also feed on small animals (bats and common mice), frogs, lizards, snakes. The victim is seized with claws and killed with a blow of the beak to the back of the head;
• the red-necked falcon catches small birds: swifts, swallows, larks; flying insects: beetles, dragonflies; bats;
• Falcons are falcons that prey more often on insects: grasshoppers, dragonflies, beetles. Smaller rodents, amphibians and lizards are caught less often. They eat sparrows, sometimes they can catch a larger bird, for example, a dove;
• Hobbies feed on insects, bats and small birds: starlings, black swifts, rosellas, sparrows. Occasionally they catch mice and other land animals;
• noble falcons (merlin, peregrine falcon, gyrfalcon, saker falcon, ashy falcon, etc.) catch birds: bee-eaters, orioles, waders, swallows, larks, bluethroats, wagtails, thrushes, hoopoes, small passerines; scorpions, bats. Less commonly they feed on snakes, rodents, lizards and insects, rabbits, ground squirrels, rats. The black falcon eats carrion. Gyrfalcon in the tundra feeds on the inhabitants of bird colonies (gulls and auks), tundra and white partridges, small passerines, lemmings, hares and squirrels. The gyrfalcon carries the caught prey to a nest or other safe place, where it breaks it.

falcon life span

The maximum lifespan of a laughing falcon in nature has been determined by banding. She was 16 years and 3.5 months. In the zoo, birds of this genus lived up to 14 years.

The lifespan of American pygmy, forest falcons and baby falcons is unknown.

Presumably, the maximum life expectancy of representatives of the genus Lesser Falcons is 20 years.

As for real falcons, in the wild the oldest individual of the kestrel lived to be 16 years old, the same date is noted for a falcon that lived in captivity. The average life expectancy of a kestrel is 11 years. There is a case of peregrine falcon longevity: the bird lived in captivity for 25 years.

Enemies of falcons in the wild

All large predators are not averse to eating falcon meat, including eagle owls. Eggs from their clutches are often stolen by martens, ferrets, foxes, and weasels. Most of the falcons die due to the destruction of their habitats by humans, a decrease in the food supply, and disturbance at nesting sites. Birds often die on unprotected power lines.

Merlins fight (lat. Falco columbarius). Photo by: Bear Golden Retriever, CC BY 2.0

The benefits and harms of falcons for humans

Falcons are orderlies of nature, they destroy many rodents. Thus, their numbers are regulated and, incidentally, they ensure the preservation of the crop of grain crops for a person.

Many types of falcons are easily tamed. They can help people hunting, while protecting herds of sheep from predators, vegetable gardens and fields - from smaller grain-, fruit- and vegetable-eating birds. The falcons are in the official state service for the protection of the Kremlin monuments in Moscow. They keep crows, pigeons and other man-made birds away from the golden domes, thus saving building elements from erosion and subsequent destruction. At the airport in Brazil, falcons, along with hawks, also drive away crows from the runway. They prevent emergencies that can happen to aircraft due to the fault of large concentrations of birds.

Falcons, like other birds of prey, are guarded everywhere, despite the fact that sometimes they can also carry away poultry, including chickens. But this happens only due to an oversight of the owners.

Types of falcons, names and photos

Below is a description of some varieties of falcons.

• Laughing falcon (lat. Herpetotheres cachinnans) - the only species of the genus. Lives in Central and South America.

The body length of the bird is 45-50 cm, weight 400-650 g. In appearance and vertical landing, it looks like real falcons. But he has a round big head of an owl type. The back and wings are dark brown, the tail is contrastingly striped. At the same time, the “cap” on the head, the lower part of the neck and chest are straw-yellow or golden-cream in color with streaks. The bird is also characterized by a black "mask" passing through the eyes and the back of the head.

• Magpie pygmy falcon, magpie falcon-baby (lat. Microhierax melanoleucos) lives in Bhutan, Bangladesh, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Laos, India, in southern China. Prefers the outskirts of fields, the edges of the forest, climbs the mountains to a height of 1500 m.

This is the largest and long-tailed species of the genus of pygmy falcons. The length of its body varies from 18 to 20 cm, the bird weighs 55-75 g. The predator has pointed wings and a square tip of the tail. The color of the falcon is contrasting: the dorsal side is glossy black, the ventral side is white. A black stripe runs through the eyes. Legs and beak are black.

• Common kestrel (lat. Falco tinnunculus) lives in Africa and Eurasia everywhere except the north. Lives in the Canary, some Japanese, British Isles, on Sakhalin, about. Peter the Great, the islands of Cape Verde and Madeira.

The kestrel has a stepped long tail and, unlike other falcons, its wings are more rounded. You can see how this bird often "shakes" in one place in the air with a slightly lowered tail and raised wings. The body length of males is 310-355 mm, females - 330-380 mm, the average weight of birds is 181-213 g. In the final plumage, males of the common kestrel are very different from females. The dorsal side of the male is red with dark brown transverse streaks and a gray hood on the head. There are also mottled spots on the brown flight feathers of the wings. On the inner webs there are zigzag white spots. The tail feathers of the kestrel are gray with a black preapical and white apical border. The underside is buffy with a longitudinal brown pattern developed to varying degrees. The male has a small black mustache. The cere, legs and orbital ring are yellow. The male is generally less variegated in color, and his mantle is brighter. Female with a rusty-brown back, tail and shoulders, covered with a wide dark transverse pattern. She has longitudinal stripes on her head and a grayish rump.

The meaning of the word "kestrel" in the dictionaries of the Russian language is interpreted as "frivolous, empty." The bird makes sounds similar to the combination of “ti-ti-ti” or “ki-ki-ki”.

• Steppe kestrel (lat. Falco naumanni) - This is a bird of the order Falconiformes. Lives in Africa: in Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia; in the south of Portugal, Spain, Italy; in the Balearic Islands, Cyprus, Sicily, Crete, Sardinia; in Poland, Germany, Mongolia, Russia (the Trans-Urals, the Altai Territory, the Omsk Region, the Caucasus, Ciscaucasia, the lower reaches of the Don, the Volga region), etc.

The body length of the steppe kestrel is 31-34 cm, the weight of males is 90-180 g, females 135-210 g, the wingspan is 58-75 cm. The tail of the bird is wedge-shaped, wide and long, the wings are narrow. There are few differences between the sexes. Adult females are red with longitudinal spots on the head. The ventral part is yellow-brown. Flight feathers are black-brown, with a wide, light, transverse pattern. The male has a gray head, the “whiskers” on it are not clearly expressed. The back, shoulders and wing coverts are brick-red without a pattern, the rump is gray. The abdomen is yellow-brown with a longitudinal pattern developed to varying degrees. The beak is black at the end, orange or yellowish at the base. Paws, cere and ring around the eyes are yellow.

• Peregrine falcon (lat. Falco peregrinus) is a rare bird of prey, protected in Russia, Western and Central Europe. But the peregrine falcon is listed in the Red Book of the Earth as an animal that is threatened by the least threat, since its range in other parts of the planet is quite wide. The peregrine falcon is a cosmopolitan that lives on all continents except Antarctica. In South America, he lives only in Patagonia. Forms local races (subspecies). In winter, the peregrine falcon migrates to warmer areas.

In size, the bird is second only to gyrfalcons. The average length of its body is 40-50 cm, weight 700-1000 g. Adult birds have a grayish-brown back with a transverse bluish pattern. The loin and rump are lighter. The flight feathers are black-brown with a transverse reddish or yellow-brown pattern on the inner webs. Under the eyes there is a black spot, turning into dark stripes on the sides of the head - "mustache". The tail feathers are black or grayish-brown with bluish stripes. The ventral side is light with a reddish tinge, often with a bluish bloom on the sides, with a black or brown transverse pattern on the underwings, undertail feathers and lower leg feathers. Heart-shaped spots or black streaks are usually present on the chest. The tarsus is less than half feathered. Females have a duller dorsal side and a more mottled ventral side. A flying peregrine falcon can be confused with a goshawk, but the tail of the falcon is shorter and sharper, and the wings are longer. The word "peregrine falcon" appeared in Russian literature in the 19th century, it was borrowed from the Kalmyk language and means "falcon" in translation.

• Aleutian falcon (black falcon) (lat.Falco peregrinus pealei ) - This is a subspecies of the peregrine falcon. Its nesting area is limited to the islands of the northern part of the Pacific Ocean: Commander (Copper and Bering), Aleutian and Queen Charlotte. During non-breeding time, the black falcon can be found on the coasts of North America, in Japan, Manchuria, and in the Russian Far East. More often he leads a settled way of life, less often wanders. Settles next to the "bird markets".

The black falcon is the largest of the peregrine falcons: the weight of a young female can reach 1.179 kg. In the nesting plumage, the upper side of the bird is monochromatic, dark brown in color. The lower part is brown with a light throat and chin, with white edges of feathers, on the sides with transverse variegated shading. In adult falcons, the dark-colored head and interscapular region, abdomen and lower neck are white with frequent irregular patterning. There are no red tones in the color of the bird. The drawing on the goiter and chest is in the form of transverse dashed lines, and on the sides, legs and undertail there is longitudinal hatching. Males are slightly lighter than females.

• Amur Falcon (Eastern Falcon) (lat. Falco amurensis) - a bird common in southeastern Transbaikalia, Primorye, Manchuria, in northwestern Mongolia, in Korea, in northern China.

The average length of the bird's wing is 22-23 cm, the average body length is 30-31 cm, the weight of the falcon is 114-140 g. The males in the final plumage are similar to the nominal race, but differ in white underwings. They have a bluish-gray body with a silvery coating on the wings, a black tail and head. The lower legs, undertail and rear part of the belly are red. The females are unique. They do not have red tones in color, the dorsal side is gray with a darker transverse pattern. Their head is also gray with well-defined black "whiskers". The ventral side is white with a dark brown longitudinal pattern, turning into irregularly shaped transverse stripes on the sides. The feathers of the undertail and lower legs are plain white.

• Cheglok (lat. Falco subbuteo) - This is a small falcon, outwardly very similar to a peregrine falcon. The area of ​​\u200b\u200bdistribution of the bird is the temperate zone of Europe and Asia, as well as North Africa. Due to the breadth of distribution, the species exhibits significant variability in color and size. Subspecies living in the north of Eurasia are painted in darker colors, small subspecies live in Africa and China.

Hobbyists have common features: a long wedge-shaped tail, pointed wings, an average body length of 28-36 cm, weight from 130 to 340 g, a wingspan of 69-84 cm. Adult birds on the dorsal side are brown with a more or less developed bluish tinge. There is no hue in a worn feather. In the male, the underside of the body is buffy, in dense longitudinal streaks, the “whiskers” and the head are black. The throat and cheeks are white, the undertail and lower legs are red. There are white strokes on both sides of the back of the neck. The female is brownish, more uniform. The voice of the Hobby is loud, the sounds it makes are reminiscent of the combination of "Kli".

• Eleanor's Hobby, Eleanor's falcon, or alet (lat. Falco eleonorae) larger than the common Hobby. Its body length is 36-42 cm, wingspan is 87-104 cm, weight is 280-420 g. It is similar in color to the common Hobby, but there are also completely black birds. The white morph of the alet is distinguished by the absence of a rusty shade of the plumage of the "trousers" and the dark underside of the wing. In females, the color of the feather contains brown, brown and yellowish tones.

Hobbies nest on the islands of the Mediterranean Sea, in Tunisia and Algeria, on the coast of Morocco, in the Canary Islands. They winter in Madagascar and the Comoros.

• Krechet (lat. Falco rusticolus) - This is the largest falcon, with wide wings, a long tail and a powerful physique. It belongs to the rarest birds of Russia, is listed in the Red Book Russian Federation and Red Books of 40 constituent entities of the Russian Federation. According to the international red book, it is a rare and vulnerable species.

Gyrfalcon is an inhabitant of the Arctic and subarctic regions of the Earth. His home is Kamchatka, Taimyr, etc. The bird is found on the continents of Eurasia and North America, on the islands of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, Commanders and Greenland. In winter, the falcon migrates to the south for about 1-2 thousand km.

The wingspan of the gyrfalcon varies from 120 to 160 cm, the body length is 48–60 cm, the weight of males is 1.3 kg, and that of females is 2.1 kg. The color of the bird is either dark gray with numerous streaks, or pure white, almost devoid of spots. White gyrfalcons live on about. Greenland and eastern Siberia. The voice of the gyrfalcon is similar to the cry of most falcons: a drawn-out whining “keek-keek-keek” or a hoarse “kyak-kyak-kyak”. The flight of the gyrfalcon is a change in the waving and soaring mode of movement.

Gyrfalcon was used for hunting in many countries of the world. In Russia, at the palace of the tsar, there was even the position of a falconer, and the places where these birds were kept were called krechatny.

• Shaheen, red-headed peregrine falcon, red-headed falcon, or desert falcon (lat. Falco pelegrinoides) distributed in Central and Central Asia: from the Mongolian Altai to the central Tien Shan.

This is a small subspecies, relatively short-tailed and long-winged. The average body length of a male is 36 cm, a female is 42 cm, the weight of a male is about 330 g, and a female is about 500 g. The maximum recorded weight of a female from Turkmenistan is 765 g. The color of the shahin is pale and light. In adults, the feathers on the crown, forehead and neck are reddish-red. The back of the birds is pale gray, slightly smoky, with a darker transverse brownish pattern. Feathers often have a reddish border. The ventral side of different shades of red, with a slightly pronounced brownish pattern.

• Laggar (lat. Falco jugger) — sedentary bird of prey, lives in Nepal, India, Pakestane, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Iran, Myanmar. Flies to Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan.

Outwardly, the laggar is similar to the Saker Falcon, only it is somewhat smaller. The length of its body is 21-50 cm, the weight of an adult female from Turkmenistan is 755 g. The plumage of the Laggar is dense and stiff, the wings are sharp and long. The back of adult birds is grayish-brown. There is a white border on the crown. The underside is white, with brown sides and lower leg feathers, sometimes with brown streaks on the abdomen and chest. The tail is single-colored, brown. The flight feathers of the wings are brown with whitish transverse stripes on the inner webs.

• Saker falcon (lat. Falco cherrug) distributed in the steppe and forest-steppe zones of Eastern Europe, North and Central Asia.

This is a long-tailed, large falcon with a body length of 45 to 55 cm. Males weigh up to 990 g, females - up to 1300 g. The color of the dorsal side is variegated brown, the underside of the body is light with spots in the form of drops and arrows. The bird's head is more often colored lighter than the body and tail, it is decorated with a dark "whisker". The tail and inner part of the wings are striped. The cere, legs and orbital ring have a bluish tinge.

The word "saker" from the Crimean Tatar language into Russian is translated as "big, large". The call of the Saker Falcon is a rough, hoarse "hack-hack" or "heeeek-heeeek".

• Turumti, or turumdi (turmuti), or red-necked falcon (lat. Falco chicquera). The total length of its body is about 30 cm. Distributed in Africa, south of the Sahara, and in India. Turumti is characterized by a brick-red "cap" on the head.

• Derbnik (drobnik, dermlig, derbnichek, derbushok, kobets, falcon or mouser) (lat. Falco columbarius) is a bird that lives in North America, Northern and Eastern Europe and northern Asia. In winter, Merlin wanders south, sometimes reaching the tropics.

In addition, it somewhat resembles a miniature gyrfalcon. It has a long tail and pointed wings that, when folded, do not reach the end of the tail a little. The long tarsus is feathered to half. The mandible, laterally compressed, is provided with a narrow crest. The average length of its body varies from 30 to 32 cm, the weight of the Merlin reaches 19-23 g. claws are black; cere, eye ring and legs are yellow. Females are a third larger than males, they also differ in color. Adult males are bluish-gray with dark trunks of feathers, their head is the same color, but with light edges of feathers. There are slightly noticeable "whiskers". The back of the neck is reddish with dark streaks. The flight feathers of the wing are brown with whitish transverse stripes on the inner webs. The tail is gray with a black transverse pattern. The ventral side is white-buff with a pattern of dark longitudinal spots. Females are dark brown above and variegated gray below. Their tail is striped, with alternating cream and brown lines, with a light edge.

• The largest of the falcons is the gyrfalcon. Its wingspan is 125-160 cm. Only about 1000 pairs of gyrfalcons live on the territory of Russia.
• The smallest falcon in the world is the Mauritian kestrel (lat. falco punctatus). Their number has decreased due to deforestation in the bird's habitat. Today, only 2 pairs of these rare falcons remain in nature.
• Muti is a falcon up to 20 cm in size. From the fly, it attacks birds larger than it in size: quails, thrushes, thimelia (lat. Garrulax). In India, tamed dregs were used for hunting. The owner held the bird in his hand, so the name of the falcon appeared: “muti” means “handful”.
• The falcon is depicted on the coats of arms of the United Arab Emirates, Kyrgyzstan and Iceland.
• In ancient Egypt, the falcon was revered, it was considered the incarnation of the sun god Ra.
• Falconry appeared about 2500 years ago. From the East to Europe, starting from the XII century, this hobby was brought by knights returning from the Crusades. The European nobility was fond of falconry, and trained birds were very expensive.
• IN different countries various types of falcons were used for hunting. Russian amateurs hunted with gyrfalcons and peregrine falcons, Iranian - with a red-headed falcon, Middle Eastern - with Saker Falcons, Indian - with turumdi and muti. In the USA, they still hunt with the American, or sparrow kestrel (lat. Falco sparverius).
• The bony tubercles in front of the nostrils help falcons redirect air currents away from their nose during high-speed flight.

Man has always been interested in the wild world of wildlife. He beckoned with his mysterious and especially dangerous inhabitants, his unknown mysteries, charming nature. Predators pose a particular threat to humanity. These animals and birds do not give time for reflection, they act quickly and decisively. It happens that a seemingly harmless bird is not capable of doing harm, but you should not be so trusting about this.

Beasts wildlife live by their own laws. This law also applies in our world, and we all know "The one who is stronger survives." In an equal fight between a predator and a human, there is very little chance that a human will win.

More recently, the well-known American writer Ransom Riggs burst into the arena of world literature with his novel The House of Peculiar Children. Based on Riggs' novel, a film was made thanks to director Tim Burton. Starring young children with incredible powers with their mentor Miss Peregrine. The teacher could at any time turn into a peregrine falcon. Today we will talk about this fascinating bird.

Brief description of the Sapsan

The peregrine falcon belongs to the falcon family and is considered a bird of prey.. The closest related birds are:

• Laggar
• saker falcon
• Merlin
• Falcon

It has its distribution all over the world, except for the freezing north of Antarctica. This bird occupies one of the first places in terms of flight speed. Scientists have proven that the peregrine falcon can accelerate its speed when flying up to 350 kilometers per hour. Such speed cannot be compared with the speed of other birds.

SAPSAN trains

Siemens produced high-speed EMU "SAPSAN" electric trains, the name of the trains was given in honor of the fastest peregrine bird. The speed of this bird inspires the creation of such similar machines. Russia has even purchased several hundred of these SAPSAN electric trains. This type of transport is popular among the people. Very comfortable and fast trains can deliver in a short amount of time to any point in the country, similar in characteristics to a peregrine falcon.

Appearance of an adult bird

This is a rather large bird, it can reach up to 55 cm in length, while having a wingspan of 85 to 125 cm. The female peregrine falcon weighs about 1 to 1.5 kg, while males weigh about 500 grams. So we can conclude that females are much larger than their males. This is probably the only difference in external signs of the female from the male.

It has a fairly strong body, a wide massive chest characteristic of birds from the falcon family. The muscles are firm and well visible. Well developed paws with bent strong claws and a sharp powerful beak. The coloring of females and males does not differ. The upperparts of the birds are gray sometimes with white stripes, including the wings, except for the tips and part above the tail. Wing tips are black.

Light belly, with a variety of shades. On the breast they have teardrop-shaped mottles. The tail is medium in size, rounded in shape. The underside of the tail is black and can be traced white stripe. The head is gray and the neck is white or light. The eyes are large and black. The massive beak and massive nails are painted black. The bird strikes its prey with its beak and paws, It has teeth on its beak that help it hunt.. Young peregrine falcons are not as contrasting in color as adults.

They use their loud voice to communicate or attract attention. The voice becomes rougher if the bird is worried about something.

Habitat of peregrine falcon

It has its distribution all over the world, except for the freezing north of Antarctica. This bird can easily get along in any environmental conditions. For falcons, the peregrine falcon will not be a big hindrance, neither frost -30, nor heat +30. With the exception of the Arctic and high mountain regions, it can be seen anywhere, even on the islands.

This bird the world's most common predator because of its habitat. It lives mainly in places not common to people. Most likes to spend time near the water, near rocky cliffs. The usual place for them to be able to make a nest for themselves is near rivers and reservoirs. The most common places for nests are rocks or tall trees. He chooses for himself places with extensive visibility, where there is both water and trees.

In the US, they took the opportunity that a peregrine falcon settled on the roof of a 55-story skyscraper, and set up a 24-hour shooting mode for observation and study.

bird breeding

In the first year of life, the peregrine falcon reaches puberty, but they start breeding after another year or even two. If this bird finds its mate, they remain faithful to each other for many years. Also, this bird is attached to its habitat and to its nest. Nest can be passed down from generation to generation and so for many years and even centuries. The researchers recorded a case that these birds have been nesting on the island since 1267.

The breeding season starts around April and ends at the end of June. In the northern hemisphere, spring comes late and breeding is delayed until later. The male is looking for a nest, which will later become a future home. And after that, with elaborate frills, he calls the female to him. Couples of such a race are characterized by a honeymoon. Halves can care for each other, clean feathers, feed each other. Since peregrine falcons are geographically isolated by their nature, the location between nests is at least 1 meter.

These birds are very sensitive to their home, and therefore they may not control themselves when they see a stranger in their territory, without seeing that the enemy is larger in size. At the sight of a person, a feeling of anxiety arises, which is apart from a loud cry.

The nest must:

• Have an open space
• Be in the public domain
• Availability of water nearby.

It happens that peregrine falcons occupy the nests of their ancestors. There is nothing in the nest as bedding, only if there are some feathers or bones left. Since this is a predator, bones from prey can be scattered near the nest.

Once a year, the female lays eggs in late spring in the amount of 3 to 5 pieces. The color of the eggs is brown-red. The size of an average egg is from 5 to 6 cm. The incubation period is approximately 1 month. Dad also takes part and, sometimes, replaces the female. The first time, when the birds were born, the female must warm and feed the chicks. The second parent at this time flies hunting within 25 km in search of food for his family. When the birds are one and a half months old, they can make their first flight.

Prey for peregrine falcon

The diet includes mainly birds of medium and small sizes:

Lunch varies depending on the location of the bird. An adult male on a hunt needs to think not only about himself, but also about his soul mate and his children. Since while mom is sitting with baby chicks, dad gets the role of a breadwinner. Also for dinner you can catch:

• bat
• hare
• Belka

At this point in time, there are about three thousand pairs. For some time now, the population has declined. This bird is assigned the second category in the "Red Book of Russia".