Peregrine Falcon

The Peregrine Falcon has been the most celebrated bird in falconry for millennia. In medieval Europe, Peregrines were flown by princes and nobility, and elaborate expeditions were mounted to take young birds from remote cliff eyries. The species suffered catastrophic population declines in the mid-twentieth century due to DDT, which caused eggshell thinning. Falconers played a central role in the recovery effort, with the Peregrine Fund—founded by falconer Tom Cade—breeding and releasing thousands of birds. This conservation success story restored Peregrines to falconry, and today captive-bred birds are once again available to qualified falconers.

The Peregrine Mystique

No bird captures the public imagination quite like the Peregrine Falcon. When scientists finally measured their diving speed at over 240 mph, it confirmed what falconers had observed for centuries: these are the supreme aerial predators.

Peregrines nearly went extinct in North America due to DDT pesticide use, but made a remarkable comeback thanks to captive breeding programs—many run by falconers. Today, they’re once again available for falconry, though they remain demanding birds that reward experience and skill.

The Stoop

The peregrine’s signature move is the “stoop”—a high-speed dive from altitude onto flying prey. The falcon climbs high (sometimes 1,000+ feet), spots quarry below, and plummets earthward, striking the prey in a burst of feathers.

Watching a good peregrine stoop is one of falconry’s transcendent experiences. It’s also what makes this form of hunting so demanding: you need vast open spaces, suitable quarry, and a falcon trained to “wait on” at height.

Waiting On

“Waiting on” describes the behavior of a trained falcon circling high overhead, waiting for the falconer to flush quarry below. Training a falcon to wait on at proper height—and stay there—is one of longwing falconry’s great challenges.

• The falcon must climb to height (ideally 400-1000+ feet)
• It must stay there, circling, while you find and flush game
• When quarry flushes, the falcon must commit to the stoop
• All of this requires extensive training and appropriate terrain

Hunting Style

Peregrines are bird specialists. In falconry, they’re typically flown at:

A day of Peregrine falconry is a grand orchestration of falcon, falconer, and often a pointing dog. The falconer arrives at open prairie or agricultural land, unhoods the falcon, and casts it off. The Peregrine climbs in widening circles, gaining altitude until it is a speck against the sky, waiting on hundreds of feet overhead. Below, the falconer works with a trained pointer to locate hidden game birds. When the dog locks on point and the falcon is positioned overhead, the falconer flushes the quarry. The Peregrine folds into a breathtaking stoop—a near-vertical dive at speeds exceeding 200 miles per hour. It is falconry at its most spectacular.

Peregrine Falcon Diet & Prey

In the wild, peregrine falcons prey almost exclusively on other birds. Over 1,500 prey species have been documented worldwide, making them one of the most versatile avian predators. Their primary diet includes pigeons, shorebirds, waterfowl, songbirds, and even bats, with medium-sized birds making up the bulk of their meals.

In falconry, the quarry flown at differs from wild prey. Falconers typically fly peregrines at upland game birds such as grouse, pheasant, and chukar, often working with pointing dogs to locate and flush quarry. Pigeons are also common quarry and serve as excellent training aids. The falconer's choice of quarry depends on local availability and the style of flight desired.

Terrain Requirements

This is where many aspiring longwing falconers hit reality: you need space.

• Open country: Peregrines need room to stoop. Trees and power lines are dangerous.
• Game birds: You need access to huntable populations of appropriate quarry.
• Hundreds of acres: A single flight might cover significant ground.
• Pointing dogs: Most peregrine falconry uses dogs to find and flush game.

If you live in a forested or suburban area, peregrines may not be practical. This is a form of falconry best suited to prairies, plains, and open agricultural land.

Temperament

Peregrines are intense, focused predators. Unlike the more tractable Harris’s Hawk, they maintain an edge—a wildness—that many falconers find compelling.

• Highly food-motivated but not “friendly” in the way Harris’s Hawks can be
• Require consistent, patient handling to maintain training
• Can become “sticky” (reluctant to leave the fist) or “rangy” (flying too far) if mismanaged
• Generally less tolerant of handling errors than buteos

Weight Management

Peregrines are more sensitive to weight than Red-tails or Harris’s Hawks. The window between “too fat to fly well” and “too thin to fly safely” is narrower.

Acquisition

Peregrines for falconry typically come from:

• Captive breeders: $1,500-5,000+ depending on subspecies and lineage
• Wild take: Legal in some states with appropriate permits; heavily regulated
• Hybrids: Peregrine × Gyrfalcon and other crosses are popular (different characteristics)

Peregrine care blends precision with attentiveness. Daily weighing is essential, as these falcons have tighter weight windows than buteos. The falconer inspects feet for any heat or swelling, checks the cere and nares for discharge, and examines flight feathers for damage. Peregrines need regular conditioning flights between hunts to maintain fitness and their waiting-on behavior—many falconers use a swung lure to simulate prey and build the falcon’s pitch. Housing must be clean, dry, and well-ventilated, with appropriate perching to prevent bumblefoot. Diet typically includes quail, pigeon, or other bird meat, carefully portioned to maintain hunting weight.

Is a Peregrine Right for You?

Be honest with yourself:

• Do you have access to hundreds of acres of open country with game birds?
• Can you hunt multiple times per week during season?
• Do you have (or can you get) a trained pointing dog?
• Have you successfully flown other species first?
• Are you prepared for a steeper learning curve and narrower margins?

If you answered yes to all of these, a peregrine might be your next step. If not, consider getting the experience first. Many successful longwing falconers spent years with buteos before transitioning.

The Bottom Line

Peregrine falconry represents the pinnacle of the art for many practitioners. The combination of speed, beauty, and the challenge of coordinating falcon, dog, and falconer creates experiences unlike anything else in hunting.

But it’s not for everyone, and it’s definitely not for beginners. Earn your way there through experience with more forgiving species, and you’ll appreciate the peregrine all the more.