Peregrine falcon

Description:

Length:- male 380mm, female 480mm. Adults:- Sexes similar. Generally deep blue-grey above with dark cross-bars. Outer flight feathers dusky with hidden grey-white bars, underwing covets buff barred black. Barred tail tipped grey-white. Head, nape, sides of head and cheeks black. Throat and breast pale cream-buff, a few black spots on lower breast, rest of underparts greyish buff crossed with numerous fine black bars. Underparts of female are more russet buff. Eye brown. Eye-ring yellow. Bill bone with black tip, cere yellow. Feet pale yellow, claw black.

Habitat:

This Peregrine Falcon was perched on the branch of a dead tree at Wooroolin Wetlands. Wooroolin Wetlands has an abundance of grasses:- Kangaroo Grass; Plume Grass and Queensland Bluegrass. Trees:- Silver-leaved Ironbark; Queensland Blue Gum. This habitat would provide plenty of prey for the Peregrine Falcon.

Notes:

A fluke spotting – I didn’t even know if this “thing” was a bird, or part of the branch. Unsure if this is a male or female. Even the distance between myself and this bird, showed me how AWARE of my presence, it was. Reference :- Reader's Digest Complete Book of Australian Birds.