Peregrine Falcon
Where to Look
- Near cliffs on larger islands
Related Galapagos Species
Osprey
Identification
The only bird of prey with finely barred undeparts. Dark mask over eye is diagnostic.
Description
A medium-sized falcon with dark grey upperparts and white underparts heavily decorated with black barring. Cere, legs and feet and eye-ring are yellow. Hind neck, crown and face are dark grey, giving a diagnostic masked appearance. Females are larger than males.
Galapagos Distribution
Recorded from most of the larger islands in the main archipelago.
Global Distribution
Widespread across all continents except antarctica. Absent most notably from the Amazon River Basin, Sahara Dessert and east Asian Steppes. Most populations breed in the Northern hemisphere and overwinter in the Southern Hemisphere.
Status in the Galapagos
Uncommon non-breeding visitor present from October to April.
Conservation
Vulnerable. With a total population of roughly 10, 000 mature individuals, this species is ranked as ‘vulnerable’. It has been extripated from Rabida and Santiago and populations across Santa Cruz and southern Isabela have been greatly reduced. It is threatened by invasive predators such as cats, dogs, pigs and rats that prey on its eggs young.