Peale's falcon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Peale's falcon |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Female | |
Scientific classification  |
|
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Falconiformes |
| Family: | Falconidae |
| Genus: | Falco |
| Species: | |
| Subspecies: |
F. p. pealei
|
| Trinomial name | |
| Falco peregrinus pealei Ridgway, 1873
|
|
The Peale's falcon (Falco peregrinus pealei) is a special type of peregrine falcon. It's known for being one of the largest peregrine falcons in the world!
An expert named Robert Ridgway first identified this bird in 1873. He named it after Titian Ramsay Peale, an artist and naturalist.
Contents
What Does a Peale's Falcon Look Like?
These powerful birds are quite large. Male Peale's falcons are about 16 inches (41 cm) long. Their wings can spread out to about 36 inches (92 cm). Females are even bigger! They can be around 18 inches (48 cm) long. Their wingspan can reach an impressive 43 inches (110 cm).
Male falcons usually weigh about 34 ounces (954 grams). Females are heavier, weighing around 49 ounces (1,398 grams).
Adult Peale's Falcons
Adult Peale's falcons have unique markings. Look for dark stripes across their belly. They also have large, tear-shaped marks on their chest. These marks are often clearer on females. Their chest feathers are usually white or grayish. This is different from other peregrines, which might have an orange chest. They also have a wide, dark stripe on their face. This stripe can even cover their whole head like a cap. Their beaks are also wider and stronger than other peregrine falcons.
Young Peale's Falcons
Young Peale's falcons look very dark overall. Their feathers don't have many light edges. Their heads are almost completely dark. They have heavy streaks on their undersides. Their tail feathers usually don't have any stripes. Their feet and beak area can be light blue or light yellow.
Where Do Peale's Falcons Live?
Peale's falcons live along the coast. Their breeding areas stretch from parts of Russia to North America.
Western Peale's Falcons
You can find some Peale's falcons in Russia. They live on the Commander Islands. From there, they spread eastward through the Aleutian Islands in Alaska. This group has many breeding pairs. They are spread out evenly along the coastline.
Eastern Peale's Falcons
Another group lives along the coast of British Columbia in Canada. They also live on Vancouver Island and the Olympic Peninsula in the United States.
In the 1950s, Langara Island had the most peregrine falcons in the world! Many nests were found close together. Sadly, their numbers have dropped since then. This is because the seabirds they eat have declined. Things like rats and raccoons were brought to the islands. These animals eat seabird eggs and chicks. Human activities also changed the ocean's food chain.
Central Peale's Falcons
A third group lives in central Alaska. This includes places like the Kodiak Islands and Prince William Sound. There are fewer falcons in this area. They also look a little different from the other groups.
Peale's Falcon Habitat
These falcons love rough, rocky coastlines. They live on sea cliffs, islands, and beaches. They need these places to build their nests.
How Do Peale's Falcons Hunt and What Do They Eat?
Peale's falcons are amazing hunters. They mostly hunt seabirds like alcids. They often build their nests near large seabird colonies. This makes it easy to find food.
One study on Amchitka Island found something interesting. Many falcons nested far from seabird colonies. Instead, these strong birds flew far out to sea to hunt. They could fly up to 50 miles (80 km) from land! This is a huge effort for a falcon. Unlike seabirds, they cannot rest on the water. They must eat their prey while flying. Or they carry it all the way back to land.
Their favorite foods include:
