| Guinness World Records reports on its website that German scientists were able to record the peregrine falcon diving at a speed of 168 mph. Other stats recorded during the German experiments were the falcon's rise in the air at 217 mph at an angle of 45 degrees. It preys on other birds while they are still in the air, knocking them out of the air with their sharp talons. In cities, their favorite food is the plentiful pigeon.
The peregrine falcon was given the scientific name of Falco peregrinus but is also known commonly as a "duck hawk". It was listed as endangered in 1984 due to pesticides, such as DDT, affecting their ability to produce young. Though they were removed from the federal list in 1999 because of the increase in their numbers due to a ban placed on pesticides, they remain endangered in the southeastern states.
|
