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Peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) landing on its nest, Yosemite National Park, 2015.

Also known by the names duck hawk and simply peregrine, this widespread bird of prey has a very memborable color pattern: blue-grey back, barred white underparts (that are reminiscent of pants on its legs) and a strikingly-black head. Peregrine falcons, like other bird-eating raptors, exhibit sexual dimorphism. Females are considerably larger than males. Interestingly, yet not well-known, the peregrine falcon is the fastest member of the animal kingdom! This bird is known for the incredible speeds reached during its high-speed dive in the air when hunting that commonly reach over 200 mph. The record speed of a peregrine falcon is 242 mph (389 km/h)! American peregrine falcons have one of the best comeback stories. They were virtually eradicated from North America by pesticide poisoning in 1950-1970 but after significant recovery efforts, they have made an incredible rebound. They were removed from the endangered species list in 1999 but still have special status in Yosemite National Park. Read more here: http://www.nps.gov/yose/blogs/Peregrine-Falcons.htm

U.S. National Park Service

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Yosemite National Park, Code: YOSE

National Park Service Facebook Photos

Title: Yosemite National Park
URL: https://www.facebook.com/YosemiteNPS?fref=ts

20150406

04/06/2015

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Organization: Yosemite National Park
Address: PO Box 577, Yosemite, CA 95389

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