Have you ever spotted a peregrine falcon zooming in the sky? These birds are the fastest animals in the world, reaching speeds over 200 miles per hour when they are in a diving position. Their namesake stems from the Latin Word peregrinus, meaning “traveler” or “foreigner.” Across the state, you can find these speedy birds in the wild canyons of the Rio Grande, the pine-oak woodlands of Big Bend, Guadalupe Mountains national park, and of course zipping around the Houston skyline.
“Peregrines like to perch on the tallest things in the landscape like skyscrapers or highway lights in order to scan for their favorite prey: pigeons. That makes them well suited to urban living, and in Houston you can find them in places like the Galleria or the Medical Center, “ writes Kelsey Low of Houston Arboretum.
The falcons are so fast that they prefer to take their prey by punching them out of the sky, shares Low. Some of their prey includes white-winged and mourning doves, songbirds, and even bats. The birds were once part of the endangered species list, but have since recovered and were removed from the list in 1999.
