Experts recognize 17 to 19 subspecies, which vary in appearance and range disagreement exists over whether the distinctive Barbary falcon is represented by two subspecies of Falco peregrinus or is a separate species, F. Both the English and scientific names of this species mean "wandering falcon", referring to the migratory habits of many northern populations. 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. Due to their prevalence over most other bird species in cities, feral pigeons support many peregrine populations as a staple food source, especially in urban settings. In fact, the only land-based bird species found over a larger geographic area owes its success to human-led introduction the domestic and feral pigeons are both domesticate forms of the rock pigeon, which are a major prey species for Eurasian Peregrine populations. ![]() This makes it the world's most widespread raptor and one of the most widely found wild bird species. It can be found nearly everywhere on Earth, except extreme polar regions, very high mountains, and most tropical rainforests the only major ice-free landmass from which it is entirely absent is New Zealand. The peregrine's breeding range includes land regions from the Arctic tundra to the tropics. As is typical for bird-eating (avivore) raptors, peregrine falcons are sexually dimorphic, with females being considerably larger than males. According to a National Geographic TV program, the highest measured speed of a peregrine falcon is 389 km/h (242 mph). It can reach over 320 km/h (200 mph) during its characteristic hunting stoop (high-speed dive), making it the fastest member of the animal kingdom. A large, crow-sized falcon, it has a blue-grey back, barred white underparts, and a black head. ![]() The peregrine falcon ( Falco peregrinus), also known simply as the peregrine, and historically as the duck hawk in North America, is a cosmopolitan bird of prey ( raptor) in the family Falconidae.
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