The fastest creatures on the earth

Forget about the fast and the furious, where all goes in a blast.
Let’s talk about the fastest creature on earth made by heaven
and own by our mother nature. If you’re amaze how can a Bugatti EB 16.4 Veyron take its speed from zero to 62 mph in 2.7 seconds (or 2.5 seconds)
Forget about the fast and the furious, where all goes in a blast.
Peregrine Falcons.
The scientific name is Falco peregrinus, peregrines- which derive from the Latin word wanderer, because it is known to roam or travel for an extended period of time, especially during the winter season. It is considered
as the endangered species in Canada and in the United States.
The Peregrine Falcon is not only considered as the fastest creatures in the sky, it's the swiftest birds and creature in the whole world that can fly horizontally at speed up to 55 mph.
It is known as the “Masters of the Hunt” (the raptors); where they knock out its prey in a downward dive over 270 mph.
There’s only 66% chance of escaping
when the peregrine falcon chased its favourite prey, it made a plunge over 270 mph to mashed their prey with its gigantic talons (something like a claw) and knock them out by colliding up in the sky.
The Peregrine Falcon uses their long, pointed wings and long narrow
tails to fly quickly and rapidly that make it as the fastest flying creatures in the whole world.
Cheetah.
t is known as a marvel of evolution, the wonder of the great earth and the spectacular fastest runner over the land, Cheetah, which uses their slender, long-legged body for speed, can reach up to 70 mph at its top speed (whew!!!)
The scientific name of Cheetah is Acinonyx jubatus, usually found in Southern and Eastern Africa, Middle East and in Southern Asia. It can cover or make a pace at
about seven-eight meters, with only one foot touching the ground at a time; the cheetah can make a speed of 110 km/h in just a second. Cheetah depends on sight not on smell
when it chase its prey with two points in the stride, feet not touching on the ground; it knock down their prey at once
by a suffocating bite to the neck. It chases 3.4 miles at
an average speed of 45 mph (72 km/h), last at about 20 seconds; which made it as the fastest animals over the land.
Sailfish.
Literally, sailfish has dark blue color on top, brown-blue laterally, silvery white below.
On the sides of the sailfish body has about twenty bars that are made up of bright blue spots. They have elongated bill which has a resemblance of a swordfish and a characteristics of sail (dorsal fin) on top, which often stretches the entire length of the back.
Istiophorus platypterus is the scientific name, which has a common size of 7 feet and mostly found in Florida. Most people believe that the Indo-Pacific Sailfish is the fastest creature among all the fishes for it covers or excess in its speed at about 110 km/h (68 mph) over a short period of time.
They usually have grown quickly at about 1.2 to 1.5 meters in length and 100 kg in weight. Fisherman and other spectators believed and seen
them leap to its height at about 6 m out of the water, and they calculated their swimming speed at 35. 2 km/h.
If a plane can fly in its incredible speed more than the peregrine falcon, that's totally amazing. If a person can run half of the Cheetah’s speed, she or he would break the record of the fastest creature on earth over the land; and if you can swim like
a sailfish and can reach at the same speed? Wow--Everybody are in completely amaze. Anyway, if you can run like a Cheetah, fly like a peregrine
falcon and swim like a sailfish, you will be considered as the most magnificent, spectacular and wondrous person living on earth.

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Black Falcon

Black Falcon Falco subniger. It is the largest of Australia’s falcons. It’s colour ranges from dark-brown to sooty-black. Photo taken near Blackall, Queensland.

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Falco biarmicus

The Lanner Falcon (Falco biarmicus) is a large bird of prey that breeds in Africa, southeast Europe and just into Asia.
It is mainly resident, but some birds disperse more widely after the breeding season.
It is a large falcon, at 43–50 cm length with a wingspan of 95-105 cm.
European Lanner Falcons (Falco biarmicus feldeggi, also called Feldegg's Falcon) have slate grey or brown-grey upperparts; most African subspecies are a paler blue grey above.
The breast is streaked in northern birds, resembling greyish Saker Falcons, but the Lanner has a reddish back to the head. Sexes are similar, but the browner young birds resemble Saker Falcons even more.
However, Sakers have a lighter top of the head and less clear head-side patterns. The Lanner's call is a harsh "wray-e".
The Lanner Falcon is a bird of open country and savanna.
It usually hunts by horizontal pursuit, rather than the Peregrine's stoop from a height, and takes mainly bird prey in flight.
It lays 3-4 eggs on a cliff ledge nest, or occasionally in an old stick nest in a tree.

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Falcons - general information

Falcons are medium sized birds of prey found all across
the world although falcons tend to prefer the more temperate regions of the
Northern Hemisphere. Falcons are best known for
their ruthlessness and their incredible flying abilities.
Falcons have tapered wings that allow the falcon to change direction extremely quickly especially when compared to other birds.
Falcons have been recorded diving at speeds of up to 200mph
meaning they are the fastest creatures on the planet!
There are more than 40 different species of falcon that can be found all around the world such as the peregrine falcon and the black falcon.
Falcons vary in size from 25cm tall to more than 60cm tall, but the height of the falcon depends on the species. The peregrine falcon is the most common
bird of prey in the world and is found on every continent besides Antarctica.
Falcons are birds of prey and are therefore known for their incredible hunting skills and being a ruthless, dominant predator within their environment.
Falcons hunt their prey from the skies above and swoop down through the air to catch it once they have spotted a meal with their incredible eyesight.
Falcons hunt all kinds of small animals like mice, frogs, fish and falcons will even catch small birds in the air.
Due to the large size, speed and alertness of the falcon, the falcon has few natural predators and even fewer that are actually airborne.
Humans and wolves tend to be the main predators of the falcon on the ground and eagles and even large owls have been known to hunt the smaller species of falcon in the air.
The eggs and chicks of the falcon are particularly vulnerable to being eaten.
Falcons have adapted in many ways to maximise their chances of survival in the skies.
The falcon has tapered wings that allow the falcon to be more agile; incredibly acute eyesight which enables the falcon to spot prey
on the ground far below; an aerodynamic body shape means that the falcon glides through the air more easily and a sharp pointed beak helps the falcon to grab and eat it's prey more effectively.
Falcons nest on high ground such as mountains and cliffs and in the tops of tall trees.
This means that the vulnerable eggs and chicks of the
falcon are in the safest place possible.
Falcons start to breed when they are about a year old.
Female falcons lay an average of 3 eggs per clutch and look after their
chicks until they are big enough and strong enough to fend for themselves.
Falcons are generally solitary birds and only really come together to mate.
Although falcons are known to stay in the same place, many species of falcon are migratory birds and have been known to travel more than 15,000 miles per year.

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Reasons, the threat of extinction Falcons

* Use of the pesticide DDT (Dichloro-Diphenyl-Tricholor-Ethane) was the primary cause for the Peregrine population to begin to decline and be placed on the endangered list in the early 1970s depending on the state.
Peregrines ate birds that had eaten seeds that had been soaked in the pesticide.
This caused the Peregrine to stop laying eggs, or lay eggs with very this shells.
When the birds tried to incubated the eggs, the shells were so thin they broke.
Pesticide residues become more concentrated as they work their way up the food chain (called "bioaccumulation") and can stay in the environment for years.
* When DDT was banned from use in the US the Peregrine Falcon's population
began to rise again. The use of pesticides is controlled in Canada and the U.S.
but not in Latin America where some of the birds go for the winter.
* In Canada and the U.S. it is illegal to kill or disturb Peregrine Falcons in their nests.
* Peregrine Falcons were removed from the federal endangered species list in August of 1999, however the falcon population is being closely monitored by state wildlife departments especially in Ohio and California.
* Several agencies bred peregrines in captivity and release the young by "hacking".
Birds that are about a month old are placed in a hack box that has been placed on a cliff or ledge of a building. Food is fed to them through a tube so they do not see the human.
Once they can fly and hunt on their own (several weeks later)
the box is left open for them to leave.

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Facts about falcons - 3

BABIES
* Eyases weigh 1 1/2 ounce when first hatched.
* Newly hatched, they are wet and covered with a white fuzz called "down"
. By 3 - 5 weeks the fuzz has been replaced by brown feathers.
* Males develop faster than females, females are larger and more powerful
when fully grown.
* In 3 weeks they are 10 times their birth weight; in 6 weeks they are
full grown; and at 9 - 12 weeks they begin to hunt and care for themselves.
* Their first prey is small game ~ dragonflies and butterflies.
* The first few days of learning to fly is dangerous to the young falcons, especially in
urban areas. Wind changes can slam the birds
into the ground and mirrored or illuminated windows are another hazard.
Unfortunately statistics are not on their side, only one out of two manage to survive the first year.

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Facts about falcons - 2

NESTING / EGGS / HATCHING
* Their range is about 30 miles with their nest in the center of their range.
They do not like other falcons within 3 miles of their nest site.
* Their favorite spot for a nest is on the edge of a cliff. Their nesting ledge is called an "aerie".
* They don't use a lot of nesting material.
Peregrines prepare a saucer shaped indentation in lose soil, sand, or grass called "scrape".
* The tiercel (male) arrives at the nesting site and begins a lot of fancy aerial displays to attract his mate in early Spring. Sometimes the male will select several locations for a nest and the female makes the final decision.
The female is the boss of the house, and the male is cautious around her.
* Peregrines are ready to start a family when they are about 2 years old.
* Falcons lay 3 - 5 eggs, 2 to 3 days apart.
The group of eggs are called a "clutch".
* Eggs range from soft pink to reddish brown and are slightly
larger than a chicken egg - about the size of a duck egg.
* The male and female share the responsibility of sitting on (incubating) the eggs.
The eggs need to stay at a constant warm temperature and dry, or the embryo
will not survive. If the air temperature is warm, the parents will leave the eggs briefly to hunt.
* The eggs also need to be turned, which we've observed occurs as the birds shift around on the nest. There are times that it looks like the
birds are actually rolling the eggs with their mouth or feet.
* The length of incubation is 33 days from the time "active" incubation starts.
* "Pipping" the shell is when the "eyases" (babies) begin to hatch out.
They do this from the inside with an "egg tooth" (a tiny sharp point) on the end of their beak. The egg tooth disappears almost immediately.
This process can take up to 2 days!

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Facts about falcons - 1

Peregrines adapt to their environment and live on every continent except Antarctica.
They can live in the mountains, deserts, forests, on sea cliffs, in cities and large urban areas.
They mate for life and return to the same nesting site every year.
They are known to substituted tall sky scrapers in downtown urban areas for nesting sites on cliffs.
A bit of trivia: While several states have adopted the cardinal, mocking bird, chickadee, and bluebird,
no state has a falcon as its state bird.

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS

* Falcon's scientific name comes from the Latin word, "Falco Peregrinus" which
means wandering falcon, traveler, or foreigner.
* There are 39 species of falcon - the Peregrine is one of five commonly found in Canada.
There are 3 subspecies of Peregrines ~ American, Artic and Peale's.
* 5 types of falcons live in the U.S. ~ gyrfalcon, peregrine, merlin, American kestrel, and prairie falcon
* Peregrines are the most well known of the falcons.
* Some like to migrate south to Latin America in the winter.
They can migrate as far as 10,000 miles ~ farther than other birds.
* Peregrines can live up to 17 years.
* The female is called a falcon, the male is called a tiercel.
* They vary in size depending on where they live ~ the biggest are in Alaska.
* Their wings are thin and pointed, and span about 40 inches.
* Slim birds with a small head.
The male is about 1/3 the size of the female.
Their bodies average 15 - 21 inches long and weigh about 2 pounds.
The female will weigh about 10.6 ounces more than the male.
* Adult Peregrines have blue-gray wings, backs, and heads, with white undersides marked with black bars going across the chest.
There faces are white under their chin. They have large, dark eyes
and very sharp beaks and yellow talons (feet).
* Peregrines make a "kek-kek-kek" noise, especially when angry or aggressive.
* They have very good eye sight ~ they can spot a meal up to a mile away.
* They are raptors (Latin meaning "to seize") - birds of prey / carnivores - and eat other birds ~ sparrows, starlings, gulls, ducks, and their favorite, pigeons. In fact, during WWII they were often shot in England to keep them from eating the pigeons that were carrying important messages to the forces.
* Falcons are the swiftest birds of prey and are very muscular.
In level flight the travel about 50 kilometers (31 miles) an hour. In a dive, called a "stoop" they reach speeds over 300 kilometers (186.33 miles) an hour!
* They have a unique way of hunting for food ~ they dive at their prey so fast that they overtake it by surprise, catching it in mid-air, and the speed kills the prey instantly. They are diurnal - they hunt during the day.
The capture takes less than 2 minutes!
* An adult eats about 70 grams (2 1/4 oz.) of food a day ~ that equals about 2 blackbirds.
* In the city it has been observed that falcons don't like to land on the ground ~ even if their meal falls to the ground, they won't go get it.
In fact, they don't usually fly lower than the level of their nest.
* They are at the top of the food chain, so adult peregrines have no natural predators.
They do however, face many threats from humans ~ use of pesticides, altering of landscape and habitats, egg collecting, hunting, and taking of the young for falconry. Baby falcons (eyases) are a tasty meal for owls, racoons, and mountail cats.

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Falco subniger

The Black Falcon (Falco subniger) is a medium-large falcon that lives only
in Australia. It is mainly found in open grasslands and woodlands in the north of Australia.
It is fast flying for its size with tapering, pointed wings.
The females are usually around 55 cm (22 in) from beak to tail
the smaller males being only 45 cm (18 in). The sexes are very similar apart from their size.
Its relationships are enigmatic, like with many falcons. It might be
an early offshoot of the Old World hierofalcons such as the Saker Falcon.
The Black Falcon's prey is mainly birds which it often takes on the wing.
It also eats ground-dwelling animals such as lizards
quail or rabbits.
source:en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

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Falco hypoleucos

The Grey Falcon, Falco hypoleucos, is a rare medium-sized falcon
one of the enigmatic ‘mystery’ birds of Australia, neither easily nor predictably seen.
Mainly grey upperparts and white underparts; darker on
the tips of the flight feathers; yellow cere. Body length 30-45 cm; wingspan 85-95 cm; weight 350-600 g. Females larger.

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Falco berigora

The Brown Falcon, Falco berigora, is a member of the Brown Falcons
are small to medium-sized raptors
. The female is larger than the male.
The Brown Falcon has a range of plumage colours, from
very dark brown to light brown above and off-white below. Generally, the upperparts are dark brown and the underparts are pale buff or cream.
The sides of the head are brown with a characteristic tear-stripe below the eye.
Birds from the tropical north are very dark, with a paler face and undertail, while those from central Australia are paler all over.
Younger birds resemble dark adults, but have less obvious
barring on the tail, and a buff-yellow colour on the face
throat and nape of the neck.

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falcon in sky

falcon in sky

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petrol station in Eversden

pictures from a closed-down petrol station in Eversden
great subject for infrared

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Falco novaeseelandiae

The Kārearea, or New Zealand Falcon, Falco novaeseelandiae, is New Zealand's only endemic falcon and indeed, the only remaining bird of prey endemic to New Zealand.
It is frequently mistaken for the larger and more common Swamp Harrier.
A member of the Falconidae bird family, the Kārearea is mainly found in heavy bush and the steep high country in the South Island and is rarely seen north of a line through the central area of the North Island.
A small population also breeds on the Auckland Islands; the species is known only from the Chatham Islands from fossil remains.
Although protected since 1970, it is considered to be a vulnerable species.
The Kārearea is a hobby, a bird that is extremely fast and agile in flight reaching speeds of up to 200 km/h. Most of its prey is caught on the wing, and it kills with a “tooth” on its beak, unlike other Falconiformes which kill with their feet or claws.
It differs from the much larger Swamp Harrier, Circus approximans, which is common throughout New Zealand, in that it catches other birds on the wing, and seldom eats carrion. An aggressive bird that displays great violence when defending its territory, the Kārearea has been reported to attack dogs as well as people.
With a wingspan of about 45 cm and weight rarely exceeding 450 g, the Kārearea is slightly over half the size of the Kāhu, the Swamp Harrier, which it usually attacks on sight. The male is about two thirds the size of the female.
The Kārearea features on the reverse of the New Zealand $20 note and has twice been used on New Zealand stamps. It was also featured on a collectable $5 coin in 2006.
source:en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

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Falco longipennis

French: Petit Faucon
German: Australischer Baumfalke
Spanish: Alcotán Australiano
Other common names: Little Falcon
Taxonomy: Falco longipennis Swainson, 1837, Tasmania.
Forms superspecies with F. severus, and perhaps also with F. subbuteo and F. cuvierii. Pale race murchisonianus of inland and N Australia commonly recognized, but probably invalid because intergradation occurs with dark birds of S humid areas.
Population on Lesser Sunda Is apparently a distinct race, although very limited information available. Two subspecies recognized.
The Australian Hobby or Little Falcon (Falco longipennis) is a falcon found mainly in Australia. It is also a winter migrant to Indonesia and New Guinea. It is one of Australia's smallest raptors and is about 30-36 cm long.
It strongly resembles the Peregrine Falcon, however it is much smaller and has darker plumage.
It inhabits open woodlands where it manoeuvres swiftly through the foliage in chase of other birds. It is very adaptable
and will visit urban parks and gardens, and remnant bushland.
They will hunt small birds, up to nearly their own size, and are often seen at dusk hunting bats and large insects.
When breeding it takes over nests of other birds.
The female incubates and broods young while the male hunts.
It gets its scientific name from its narrow long-flighted wings.

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