PEREGRINE FALCON

Common Name: Peregrine falcon  or “duck hawk”
Scientific Name: Falco peregrinus
Order/Family: Falconiformes/Falconidae
Size: Around 38-50 cm in length and a wingspan of around 100-120 cm.
Weight: Males weigh around 600 grams, while females weigh around 1 kg.

Physical Description
A gray-blue back and a white belly with dark stripes. It has a dark mask around its eyes and a dark spot under its cheeks. Its legs and beak are yellow. Young individuals are dark brown with white spots on the belly.

Habitat
Mountainous areas, cliffs and coasts. In Magallanes, this hawk has a wide continental distribution, even in the Cape Horn archipelago. It can be observed perching on trees or cliffs. When urban habitats adopted, it can be observed in high places for hunting.

Behavior and Diet
Diurnal and solitary. It is an agile and fast predator that captures its prey in flight using a technique known as a stoop. Its diet mainly consists of birds, especially pigeons and other similar-sized birds.

Breeding
It is territorial and monogamous, meaning it mates with a single partner and defends a specific territory during the breeding season. During that time, the couples perform a courtship ritual in which the male displays flight and hunting skills to impress the female. It usually nests on cliffs and artificial structures such as buildings and bridges. In Magallanes, it lays eggs in nests built in natural hollows or ledges; 3 to 4 eggs, which are then incubated for about 32 days. The chicks remain in the nest for approximately 6 weeks before their first flight.

Conservation Status
In Magallanes, the peregrine falcon is considered a species of "Least Concern" according to the IUCN.