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Wildlife
in Ontario
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Peregrine
Fact Sheet
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Closer Look Index
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The
scientific classification of the peregrine falcon
- Kingdom:
Animalia
- Phylum:
Chordata
- Class:
Aves
- Order:
Falconiformes
- Family:
Falconidae
- Genus:
Falco
- Species:
peregrinus
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| In
Canada and the United States there are laws to protect the
peregrine, making it illegal to kill them or disturb them
in their nests. |
| Most
peregrines return to their breeding teritories and begin courtship
between mid-February and late March. In mid-April to early
May, the females lay a clutch of four eggs. Both adults help
to incubate the eggs for 33 to 35 days. The eggs usually hatch
in late May or early June. |
| Young
peregrines are completely dependent on their on their parents.
They begin to fly within 38 to 4 days, by this time they are
the size and weight of an adult peregrine but still rely on
their parents. |
| Young
peregrines are brown to dark brown in colour and have vertical
streaks of brown on their cream-coloured breast. They molt
into adult plumage when they are about 18 months old and then
molt annually. Their face markings are unique to each individual
and can be used to identify each bird. |
| The
falcons hunt in the early morning and late in the day, even
in dim light their eyesight is very acute. When selecting
their prey, they would single out individuals that are younger,
injured or unusual in appearance. |
| Peregrines
face many hazards. Four out of five young birds die before
they are 1 year old because they are inexperienced flyers
and hunters. During migration they may collide with buildings,
vehicles or electric power lines and some continue to be illegally
hunted. |
| In
1998, there were 33 known peregrine territories in all of
Ontario (one each in Toronto, Etobicoke, Hamilton, London
and Ottawa), including 24 confirmed nesting attempts, compared
to 1975 when there were no sites recorded in the province. |
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Mark
Heaton and Vicki Samaras in the public banding of one
of the peregrine falcons from the Richmond Hill nesting
site.
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