SPEED
The stoop
Peregrines reach around 320 km/h as they dive, or stoop, on prey, folding their wings to cut drag. One was recorded at more than 380 km/h in 2005.
See the numbersA UK WILDLIFE GUIDE
The fastest bird
lives downtown.
Look up at a cathedral spire and you may see one.
Follow a nesting year
STOOParound 320 km/h
Peregrine falcons are the world's fastest birds, reaching around 320 km/h in a dive. Once pushed to the edge by pesticides and persecution, they now nest on towers, bridges and pylons in UK towns and cities.
At a glance
- Built for speed
- Back from the brink
- Nesting in towns
- A comeback you can watch
≈ 320 km/h
Typical top speed in a dive
The Natural History Museum says peregrines famously reach speeds of around 320 kilometres per hour as they stoop on prey, and calls them the fastest animals in the world.
THE STOOP · NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM
1,769 pairs
Breeding pairs across the UK
The 2014 national survey estimated 1,769 breeding pairs, up 22% on the 2002 survey. Most of the increase came from lowland England.
UK SURVEY 2014 · BTO
TWO NUMBERS WORTH KNOWING
Built for speed,
counted with care.
One figure for the dive,
one for the last full UK survey.
The same survey found contrasting fortunes: peregrines declined overall in Scotland and did poorly in upland protected areas, with prey availability and illegal killing among the possible factors.
A NESTING YEAR
What is happening
on the ledge?
Pick a stage of the peregrine breeding season. The bar shows how much there is to watch on a nest webcam at that stage; the Natural History Museum says late spring to early summer is the best time to tune in.
Timings from the Natural History Museum and BTO BirdFacts. Exact dates vary from pair to pair and year to year.
THE SHORT ANSWER
Fast, rare once,
now urban.
A falcon built to dive,
that found cities suit it well.
COMEBACK
From crash to recovery
UK numbers fell in the 1960s to less than half the pre-war population. Surveys since then have tracked a recovery to the highest levels since recording began.
Read the story
CITY LIFE
Ledges with a view
Peregrines nest on over 200 urban or man-made sites, from cathedrals to power stations, and pigeons are their favourite prey.
Follow the year
FOUR WAYS TO SPOT ONE
Look high,
listen hard.
Peregrines nest well out of reach, so the best views are often through binoculars or a webcam. These tips come from what the Natural History Museum describes.
Scan tall buildings
Cathedral towers, spires, bridges and power stations are all used as nest sites in towns.
Watch the pigeons
Pigeons are their favourite prey. A sudden scatter of a flock can mean a peregrine overhead.
Tune into a nest cam
Many cathedrals and some universities stream nests. Late spring to early summer shows the most action.
Keep your distance
Peregrines are on Schedule 1, so disturbing them at the nest needs a licence. Enjoy them from the ground.
THE COMEBACK
From the crash
to the cathedral.
BTO figures show 385 pairs in 1961, 728 in 1981, 1,283 in 1991 and 1,437 in 2002. Pesticides and persecution drove the decline; recovery followed, and peregrines began moving into cities in the 1990s.
Salisbury Cathedral has records of peregrines nesting since 1864. After a long absence, a pair fledged four chicks in a nest box there in 2014, and peregrines have hatched and fledged from the tower every year since except 2018.
Questions
Questions people ask
How fast can a peregrine falcon fly?
In a hunting dive, or stoop, peregrines reach around 320 km/h, according to the Natural History Museum. One was recorded at more than 380 km/h in 2005. In ordinary flight they often glide no faster than a swift or duck.
How many peregrines are there in the UK?
The 2014 national survey estimated 1,769 breeding pairs, 22% more than in 2002. BTO's species page also shows a 57% decrease from 1995 to 2024 on its latest trend measure, so the picture is still being watched closely.
Why do peregrines live in cities?
Tall buildings mimic cliff ledges, and towns offer plenty of prey, especially feral pigeons. Street lights also help them hunt migrating birds at night.
What do peregrines eat?
Mostly birds caught in flight. Pigeons are the favourite, but starlings, blackbirds and collared doves are also taken, and at night they hunt migrants such as woodcock and teal.
How long do peregrines live?
BTO gives a typical life expectancy of 7 years for a bird that reaches breeding age, with breeding typically starting at 2. The oldest ringed bird reached 21 years and 10 months.
Sources
Where the facts come from
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