West Virginia Wildlife from Eyewitness News

Peregrine 2

Meet the fastest bird on earth!

July 29, 2009
Reporter: Patrick McMurtry
Videographer: Brad Rice

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That speed is really an advantage because they come out of nowhere and hit with an impact and can take their prey in mid-air, says Craig Stihler a biologist with the West Virginia Department of Natural Resources.

Stihler is talking about these beauties...peregrine falcons...birds that move faster than a stock car.

The peregrine falcon is noted as the fastest bird on earth, they've been clocked at 218 mph. They just fold up their wings and dive on their prey. They prey almost exclusively on other birds and they usually hunt for them on the wing. They'll fly high, fold their wings, dive and actually hit the bird and knock them out of the air and grab them, says Stihler.

You'll sometimes see these predators in the skies over West Virginia. They used to be more prevalent, but a combination of factors nearly wiped them out. A repopulating effort is underway, but so far it's been tough to get them to nest and raise chicks here.

Stihler says the name peregrine means wanderer, and they're called this because they move a lot. The birds that are nesting here, in a couple of days, could be 3, 4 or 500 miles away and come back here again. In the winter they'll typically head South, they'll come back in the summer.

That means this is prime peregrine time, and if you know what to look for, you might get a chance to check out something special.

They're fairly small, very sleek. They are a falcon, so they have that really sleek falcon outline. They're roughly the size of a crow or raven. The female tends to be a little bigger, about the size of a raven, the male is a little smaller, about the size of a crow, says Stihler.

A small bird that packs a big wallop and moves faster than any other animal on earth. Pretty cool..huh?