Peregrine Falcon

Description:

From Cornell's "All About Birds" website: Peregrine Falcons are the largest falcon over most of the continent, with long, pointed wings and a long tail. Be sure to look at shape as well as size—long primary feathers give the Peregrine a long-winged shape. Adults are blue-gray above with barred underparts and a dark head with thick sideburns. Juveniles are heavily marked, with vertical streaks instead of horizontal bars on the breast.

Habitat:

Look for Peregrine Falcons perching or nesting on skyscrapers, water towers, cliffs, power pylons, and other tall structures. If a mudflat full of shorebirds and ducks suddenly erupts from the ground, scan the skies. A Peregrine (or Merlin) is probably in the area. Peregrines can be seen all over North America, but they are more common along coasts.

Notes:

Norman Smith, director of the Blue Hills Trailside Museum, released this Peregrine Falcon, and a Snowy Owl in the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge on Plum Island, in Newburyport, Massachusetts. He rescued them earlier this morning from the runways at Logan Airport in Boston, Massachusetts. I am participating in a Master Naturalist training program in the refuge and we just happened to be nearby when Norm arrived to release his birds. Lucky for us!