Formerly known as the 'duck hawk', the Peregrine falcon can be found just about anywhere in the world, with the exception of the most remote and harshest regions. In North America, this majestic bird will make its home on the ledge of a city skyscraper as readily as it will nest high on a rugged rocky cliff.
Canada is home to three subspecies of Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus pealei, F.p. anatum and F.p. tundrius). They look similar but differ slightly in size an colouration. The pealei subspecies is the largest and darkest and lives throughout coastal British Columbia.
One of the Fastest birds in the world, the Peregrine Falcon can dive at an astounding 300 Km/hr (200 mph). The Peregrine Falcon might appear to be a fairly new addition to the urban landscape, but its relationship with humanity dates back centuries. As an exceptional hunter, its ability to seize small birds in midair or knock larger birds right out of the sky has made it a prized bird for falconers even prior to the Middle Ages.
Marco Polo gave the world one of its first glimpses of this magnificent feathered resident of Canada when he wrote that the Artic Ocean contained 'Écertain island in which are produced numbers of gyrfalcon and Peregrine Falcons which are carried in many directions'.
The Peregrine Falcon is one of the most spectacular birds of prey one can ever hope to observe.