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6

Peregrine Falcon

(Falco peregrinus)
Alternate name(s): "Black-cheeked Falcon", "Peregrine"; misnomer: "Duck Hawk"
Aboriginal name(s): Race "macropus": "bihyun" (Gold Coast); "kwetolbo", "moldern" (WA)

Size: 35-50 cm; wing span 85-100 cm
Weight: 425-750 g (male), 910-1500 g (female)

Similar
species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description

Click here for a physical description

Taxonomy, classification

See Peregrine Falcon at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species

Click here for information on habitat and range

Sightings

Click here for sighting information

Photos

Race "macropus"

ADULT

MALE

Frontal view of a male Peregrine Falcon; note the orange eye-ring, cere, bill and legs/feet (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Alice Springs, NT, June 2023]

Near-frontal view of a male Peregrine Falcon (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Alice Springs, NT, June 2023]

Near-frontal view of a male Peregrine Falcon with its prey (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Tambo River, Swan Reach, East Gippsland, VIC, July 2018]

Near-lateral view of a male Peregrine Falcon (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Alice Springs, NT, June 2023]

Dorsal view of a male Peregrine Falcon; this bird was observed feeding a begging female at the start of the breeding season, see below (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Tambo River, Swan Reach, East Gippsland, VIC, July 2018]

FEMALE

Frontal view of a female Peregrine Falcon (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Alice Springs, NT, June 2023]

Frontal view of a female Peregrine Falcon looking sideways (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Alice Springs, NT, June 2023]

Near-frontal view of a female Peregrine Falcon (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Alice Springs, NT, June 2023]

Near-lateral view of a female Peregrine Falcon (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Alice Springs, NT, June 2023]

Near-lateral view of a female Peregrine Falcon; this bird was observed begging for, and receiving, food from its partner in a bonding ritual(photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Tambo River, Swan Reach, East Gippsland, VIC, July 2018]

Lateral view of a female Peregrine Falcon (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Tambo River, Swan Reach, East Gippsland, VIC, July 2018]

Frontal view of a female Peregrine Falcon in low flight (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Tambo River, Swan Reach, East Gippsland, VIC, July 2018]

PAIR

The photo shown here, of a pair, was used to determine the sexes of the two individuals (photos shown above from Alice Springs taken in June 2023). Note that the male, on the right, has brighter orange eye-rings, cere, bill and legs/feet than the female, indicating that this pair is breeding.

Frontal view of a pair of Peregrine Falcons, male on the right (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Alice Springs, NT, June 2023]

Sex unknown

Frontal view of a Peregrine Falcon
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2021]

Frontal view of a Peregrine Falcon looking sideways
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2021]

Lateral view of a Peregrine Falcon sitting on a rockface (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Swan Reach Cliffs, East Gippsland, VIC, May 2015]

Near-dorsal view of a Peregrine Falcon using a lamppost as its perch (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Dianella, Perth, WA, July 2016]

Frontal view of a Peregrine Falcon in flight; this is the bird whose calls were recorded on 31 May 2020
[Pilliga NP, NSW, May 2020]

Near-lateral view of a Peregrine Falcon in flight (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Point Addis, VIC, April 2022]

Lateral/ventral view of a Peregrine Falcon in flight; this is the bird whose calls were recorded on 31 May 2020
[Pilliga NP, NSW, May 2020]

Lateral/ventral view of a Peregrine Falcon in flight
[Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, January 2014]

Near-dorsal view of a Peregrine Falcon in flight (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Royal NP, NSW, June 2013]

Collage of photos showing a Peregrine Falcon circling above a 1400-m high mountain
[Mt. Kaputar NP, NSW, February 2021]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Frontal view of a juvenile Peregrine Falcon; note the heavy streaking and the chevrons down the front
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Gooradalng Campground, Keep River NP, NT, September 2020]

Two Peregrine Falcons in a dead tree top - the adult, most likely a female, sits at the very top, a juvenile bird to its lower right
[Eulah Creek, NSW, May 2009]

Portrait of a juvenile Peregrine Falcon taken in captivity (photo courtesy of M. Windeyer)

Lateral portrait of a juvenile Peregrine Falcon taken in captivity (photo courtesy of M. Windeyer)

Breeding information

Breeding season: Aug - Nov Eggs: 2 - 3 Incubation period: 31 - 35 days Fledging age: ca. 40 days

Nest building: N/A Incubation: Female & male Dependent care: Female & male

Peregrine Falcons do not build a nest. They either use a scrape or just a bare rock surface or they re-use another species' stick nest.

Nest

"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal]

Type: Scrape in rock crevice/ledge Material: Rock Height above ground: 15 - ? m

Overview of the location of a Peregrine Falcon nest on a rock ledge (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mt. Hypipamee, QLD, August 2023]

Near-dorsal view of a female Peregrine Falcon on its nest (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mt. Hypipamee, QLD, August 2023]

Dorsal view of a female Peregrine Falcon on its nest (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mt. Hypipamee, QLD, August 2023]

Female Peregrine Falcon temporarily off its nest, revealing the presence of 3 eggs (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mt. Hypipamee, QLD, August 2023]

Female Peregrine Falcon turning its eggs (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mt. Hypipamee, QLD, August 2023]

Female Peregrine Falcon temporarily off its nest, feeding on prey brought by the male (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Mt. Hypipamee, QLD, August 2023]

Peregrine Falcon sitting in front of its nest in a rock crevice (photo courtesy of D. Johnston)
[Pilliga scrub, NSW, 1980ies]

Location of the Peregrine Falcon nest the entrance to which is shown above (photo courtesy of D. Johnston)
[Pilliga scrub, NSW, 1980ies]

Peregrine Falcon nest (not in use at the time the photo was taken) on a rock ledge; note the white streaks of poo down the rockface
[Apsley Gorge, Oxley Wild Rivers NP, near Walcha, NSW, October 2018]

Eggs

"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "mirk", "ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena", "pum-pum" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay]

Size: 53 x 40 mm Colour: Creamy, with olive-brown speckles Shape: Ellipsoidal

Peregrine Falcon nest with 2 eggs in it (photo courtesy of D. Johnston)
[Pilliga scrub, NSW, 1980ies]

Behaviour

Lateral view of a female Peregrine Falcon; this bird was observed begging for, and receiving, food from its partner in a bonding ritual(photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)

Sulphur-crested Cockatoo trying to intimidate a Peregrine Falcon
[Eulah Creek, NSW, November 2021]

Food, Diet

Adults: Birds Dependents: As adults Water intake: None

All raptors are carnivores. Peregrine Falcons prey on smaller birds, up to the size of pigeons or ducks, which they take in flight.

During the first few weeks, raptors feed their chicks with pieces of meat. Later on in their development, the chicks learn to tear apart their parents' prey.

Near-frontal view of a male Peregrine Falcon with its prey (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Tambo River, Swan Reach, East Gippsland, VIC, July 2018]

Peregrine Falcon plucking a Galah
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2021]

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

perfalc_me_20230815.mp3 macropus
(N QLD)
Hunting call (female with prey) © ME
perfalc_20200531_3.m4a macropus
(NW NSW)
? © MD
perfalc_20211021_2.m4a macropus
(NW NSW)
? (+alarm calls of Australian Raven and Pied Butcherbird) © MD
perfalc_20200531_2.m4a macropus
(NW NSW)
? (+alarm calls of White-plumed Honeyeater) © MD
perfalc_20200531.m4a macropus
(NW NSW)
? (+alarm calls of Straw-necked Ibis, Magpie-lark & White-plumed Honeyeater) © MD

More Peregrine Falcon sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

Would you like to contribute photos or sound recordings to this site?
If interested, please CLICK HERE. Credits to contributors are given HERE.