Introduction
Falco peregrinus
This is the most characteristic bird of prey of the Natural Park’s cliffs, where they live in holes in the rock. A hunter in open spaces, it has a very aerodynamic body with narrow pointed wings, which stretch beyond its tail when folded. It mainly feeds on birds which it hunts on the wing. In vertical dives they can reach speeds of up to 400 km/h, making it the fastest animal in the world.
Owing to its speed and its ability to hunt birds, for a long time it was used by nobility, princes and kings for the practice of falconry. It is also used in airports to frighten off other birds to prevent collisions with planes.
Photo: Carlos Delgado
Images not available