Description: The peregrine falcon has a dark head which appears hooded and is
about the size of a crow – 16 inches long with a wingspread of about 40
inches. The female is larger than the male. Adult birds are slate
blue on the back and have white- to buff-colored throats. The belly
is also white or buff with some black bars.
Habitat and
Habits: The peregrine falcon eats pigeons, shorebirds,
waterfowl, and songbirds. It rarely eats mammals and insects.
Peregrines hunt while soaring or from perches, diving vertically and
striking birds at high speeds. These impressive dives are called
stoops. Speeds of 200 mph have been recoded during a stoop. Nest
sites are often on rocky cliffs or tall buildings in cities, but are
also found in tree hollows and on tall bridges. The clutch size
ranges from two to six eggs but is usually three to four with an
incubation period of about 30 days. The young peregrines leave the
nest after 35 to 42 days. The adult peregrines will feed on one or
two starling-size birds per day.
Distribution:
Peregrine falcons occur worldwide in arctic and temperate areas.
Historically, they primarily nested in Iowa on cliffs along the
Mississippi River and the Cedar River.
Conservation
Efforts: In 1989 the Iowa Department of Natural Resources’
Nongame Program initiated a reintroduction project for peregrines in
Iowa. Twenty-three birds released in Cedar Rapids in 1989 and 1990,
19 in Des Moines in 1991 and eight were released in Muscatine in
1992. The young birds are acquired from licensed breeding
facilities. When the young birds are about 35 days old and can tear
their own food, they are taken to the release site. There the young
peregrines are held in a large “hack” box and monitored until they
learn to fly and hunt. The goal to establish five nests in Iowa by
the year 2000 was met. These breeding pairs have become established
in Cedar Rapids, Des Moines, Lansing, Davenport, and at the Louisa
Generating Station.
Reasons for Listing: Use of
DDT and similar pesticides caused a drastic decline of peregrines in
the United States and Europe through the 1970s. While no longer on
the federal endangered species list, the peregrine remains as a
federally protected species and is a state listed endangered species
for the State of Iowa. Through the collective cooperative efforts
of federal, state, and local government agencies and volunteer
businesses, groups and individuals, the peregrines are once again
being seen soaring in Iowa’s skies.
