1970s 'The Falconry' Era

Lore & Background

The peregrine falcon became an endangered species in many areas because of the widespread use of various pesticides, especially DDT. Since the ban on DDT from the early 1970s, populations have recovered, supported by large-scale protection of nesting places and releases to the wild. The peregrine is a highly successful example of urban wildlife in much of its range, taking advantage of tall buildings as nest sites, and an abundance of prey such as pigeons and ducks.

Reader's Guide

The peregrine falcon is a well-respected falconry bird due to its strong hunting ability, high trainability, versatility, and availability via captive breeding. It is effective on most game bird species, from small to large. Although its diet consists almost exclusively of medium-sized birds, the peregrine will sometimes hunt small mammals, small reptiles, or even insects. Reaching sexual maturity at one year, it mates for life and nests in a scrape, normally on cliff edges or, in recent times, on tall human-made structures.

Did You Know?

• The peregrine falcon is the world's most widespread raptor, found nearly everywhere on Earth except extreme polar regions, very high mountains, most tropical rainforests, and the islands of New Zealand.
• The patch of black feathers below the falcon's eyes, called the malar stripe, is larger in areas that receive more sunlight and serves to improve the falcon's vision by reducing glare.
• The peregrine falcon has a body length of 34 cm and a wingspan from 74 cm, with females measuring up to 30% larger than males.