When in a stoop, Peregrine Falcon is faster than any other land or sea animal including cheetahs, traveling at speeds clocked at over 175 mph. In migration they follow flocks of shorebirds which they dive upon in a missile-like flight. In urban environments they often prey on pigeons but on the Chico this one killed a Western Meadowlark that was foraging in a pasture. Unlike other raptors who use thermals for gliding during migration, Peregrines use powered flights and have been observed flying miles out over the open ocean. Once listed as endangered, Peregrine Falcons now breed on cliffs along Colorado’s Front Range including in El Paso County and are found throughout the world sometimes nesting on ledges of office building and bridges.
Vast and Unknowable
Reflections on the Chico Basin Ranch.
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