Peregrine falcon facts

What peregrines eat, where they live, how they hunt and what their recovery tells us.

What is a peregrine?

The peregrine (Falco peregrinus) is a powerful falcon found in the UK throughout the year. It hunts other birds, often catching them in flight. Tall buildings can provide the ledges that cliffs offer in more open country. See the RSPB species account.

How big is it?

The Wildlife Trusts give a length of 40–54 cm and a wingspan of about 1.2 m. Females are larger than males. Size alone is hard to judge against an empty sky; use shape and plumage together.

Is it really the fastest bird?

The famous speed refers to a hunting dive, or stoop, rather than everyday level flight. The Wildlife Trusts' species guide describes dives of up to 200 mph. A bird passing over a street is not necessarily travelling at anything like that speed.

Do peregrines build a nest?

They lay in a scrape rather than constructing a typical twig nest. Public projects sometimes provide a tray on a suitable building. The BTO BirdFacts account provides breeding and life-history data; a local project diary is better for a particular pair's progress.

Are numbers recovering?

BTO describes recovery after the effects of organochlorine pesticides, but also a shift in distribution and continuing problems in some upland areas. Successful city pairs do not tell the whole national story. Avoid treating a historical survey total as a live population count.

Where can I see one?

Start with public regional projects or an official webcam. Bring patience: even a well-known site can be quiet while a bird is away or resting out of sight.

Sources checked 31 October 2026. Follow linked operators for current arrangements.