Reader's Digest (Australia) Pty Ltd, Sydney. Reader's Digest Complete Book of Australian Birds (2nd Edition). University of New South Wales Press, Sydney. Australian Birds of Prey: the Biology and Conservation of Raptors. However, although these birds are not common, they have successfully spread worldwide, and will sometimes nest on artificial structures such as the window ledges of high buildings. Pesticides have been found to thin the eggshells of Peregrine Falcons, decreasing their nesting success in some areas.

Clutch size: Two to four, usually three.

Young Peregrine Falcons disperse widely, but often return to their original home area to breed when mature. Biologists have clocked it diving at speeds of over 200 mph. When the young have hatched, both parents hunt to provide food. The Peregrine Falcon is famous for its fast flying. The female incubates the eggs and is fed by the male on the nest. Rather than building a nest, it lays its eggs in recesses of cliff faces, tree hollows or in the large abandoned nests of other birds. The Peregrine Falcon mates for life and pairs maintain a home range of about 20 km to 30 km square throughout the year. Loud, shrill, repeated: 'hek-ek-ek', with females lower-pitched than males. This co-operative behaviour is most often observed during the breeding season. Pairs may hunt co-operatively, with one member, usually the male, scattering a flock of birds while the other swoops down to attack a particular individual. It will pursue flying birds, being able to fly at speeds of up to 300 km/h, and it soars to a great height in search of prey. It swoops down on its prey from above, catching or stunning it with its powerfully hooked talons, before grasping and carrying it off to a perch to pluck and eat it. The Peregrine Falcon feeds on small and medium-sized birds, as well as rabbits and other day-active mammals. Largely resident, with young birds roaming at random until they are ready to breed. It is also found in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas. The Peregrine Falcon is found across Australia, but is not common anywhere. It requires abundant prey and secure nest sites, and prefers coastal and inland cliffs or open woodlands near water, and may even be found nesting on high city buildings. The Peregrine Falcon is found in most habitats, from rainforests to the arid zone, and at most altitudes, from the coast to alpine areas. Although widespread throughout the world, it is not a common species. The eye-ring is yellow, with the heavy bill also yellow, tipped black. The long tapered wings have a straight trailing edge in flight and the tail is relatively short. Peregrine Falcons are large, powerfully built raptors (birds of prey), with a black hood, blue-black upperparts and creamy white chin, throat and underparts, which are finely barred from the breast to the tail. Video from the BBC.The Peregrine Falcon is one of the fastest birds of prey, swooping down at speeds of up to 300 km/h. Sir Hugh used his own fortune to research the question, and thatвЂ™s how the Guinness Book of World records got started.Д«ottom line: The Peregrine falcon is the worldвЂ™s fastest bird. Failing to shoot a golden plover, Sir Hugh maintained that this must be the worldвЂ™s fastest flying game bird. In 1951, Sir Hugh Beaver, the managing director of Guinness Breweries, was in southeastern Ireland with a group of friends, enjoying a dayвЂ™s shooting. Also, birds fly faster when theyвЂ™re chasing prey or escaping a predator.Д«y the way, the Guinness Book of World Records вЂ“ an obvious source for the answer to questions like вЂњwhatвЂ™s the worldвЂ™s fastest bird?вЂќ вЂ“ actually came into existence because of an argument about the fastest game bird in Europe. A headwind or tailwind will change a birdвЂ™s speed. But ducks and other waterfowl often fly twice that fast. What about other birds? Scientists whoвЂ™ve tracked birds with Doppler radar say most birds cruise along at somewhere around 40 kilometers (25 miles) an hour.

To see more of the worldвЂ™s fastest birds while traveling at level flight, see this link. Studies have clocked an Indian bird, the spine-tailed swift, at over 100 miles (160 km) per hour. But this bird doesnвЂ™t make the top 10 when traveling in level flight. The Peregrine falconвЂ™s diving speed is amazing. The video above gives you an idea of how fast this is, as seen from the falconвЂ™s point of view. As it executes this dive, the Peregrine falcon soars to a great height, then dives steeply at speeds of over 200 miles (320 km) per hour. The Peregrine falcon is the fastest bird вЂ“ and in fact the fastest animal on Earth вЂ“ when in a dive.

So far, no bird known can match the flying speed of a Peregrine falcon in its hunting dive.

Peregrine falcon speed