Peregrine Falcon

The peregrine falcon is a powerful bird of prey found on every continent except Antarctica, renowned as the fastest animal on Earth, reaching speeds of well over 300 kilometres an hour during the high-speed diving stoop it uses to strike other birds in mid-air. It has a slate-grey back, pale barred underside and a dark hood-like marking on the head, and it favors open country, coastlines and increasingly cities, where tall buildings serve as substitutes for the cliffs it naturally nests on. Peregrines feed almost exclusively on other birds, taken in flight, and pairs often return to the same nest site, called an eyrie, year after year. The species suffered a severe population collapse in the mid-20th century due to the pesticide DDT thinning its eggshells, but strong recovery following the chemical's ban is considered one of conservation's notable success stories.