RSS

Peregrine Falcon

Falco Peregrinus

Family: Falconidae (Falcons, 6 species in Australia)
Size: F 45-50 cm, M 35-42 cm
Distribution: Most of Australia except some parts of central Australia
Status: Moderately Common
Habitat: Most land types, especially cliffs and rocky outcrops, rocky coastal islands
References: Simpson and Day, Reader's Digest

The Peregrine Falcon is the fastest bird in the world and has been recorded in dives at 389 kilometres per hour (240 miles per hour).

Peregrine Falcon - Falco Peregrinus
Photo: Featherdale Wildlife Park, Sydney NSW. High Resolution (1976 x 2931)

Some Birdwatching Resources

Sydney Birds and Where to Find Them, Peter Roberts. The 30 top bird-watching localities in and around Sydney. These birding hot spots stretch from Tuggerah Lakes on the Central Coast to Lake Illawarra near Wollongong and from the Blue Mountains in the west to some surprisingly accessible sites tucked away in the heart of the city. Each locality entry lists the key species to look out for including rare and seasonal visitors. It describes how to access the location, and what amenities to expect; maps are featured. There is also a handy list of Sydney birds, each entry providing information on the best spots to find it.

Click here to purchase from Australia $29.99 AUD

Slater Field Guide to Australian Birds, Peter Slater, Pat Slater and Raoul Slater. This is a smaller field guide, and its advantage is it is easy to carry around. Its size is 21.3 x 11.4 x 2.8 centimetres, or 8.4 x 4.5 x 1.1 inches in the old scale. So it is a good one to get if you want to have your field guide with you out in the field. Unlike most of the field guides it also has illustrations of the eggs of all the birds that breed in Australia. It has very good reviews on Amazon.