In last week’s “Wonders” article, we looked at kestrels, and now we will look at their close relative, the peregrine falcon. You may recall that both groups are members of the hawk family and live in the same areas throughout the world, including the United States, Mexico and parts of Canada. Their nesting habits are similar—sometimes in the hole of a tree trunk, on a ledge of a rocky canyon or even on a high ledge on the side of a tall building.
Male peregrines are mostly mottled brown and tan over their bodies and legs, with darker brown on their wings and tops of their heads. Females have lighter grayish feathers over their backs and heads, contrasting with soft white throats and chests.
Compared with the blue jay-sized kestrel, peregrines are about the size of a big crow. One look at their hooked beaks and long, sharp talons would convince you they can be very tough enemies of rats, mice, rabbits, squirrels and other land animals, as well as birds as big as sea gulls.
“Peregrine” means “traveling or wandering.” They will at times fly hundreds of miles searching for a meal. While kestrels don’t have enough speed to catch other birds in the air, peregrines can overtake many birds. They fly as high as 1,000 feet, their sharp eyes all the while searching far below for prey.
These birds could not do all this remarkable hunting if the Creator had not provided them with eyes like telescopes. They can spot a squirrel on the ground a thousand feet below or see a flying bird a great distance off and soon overtake it. Sometimes when mates are flying together and the male captures a bird, the female will fly upside down below him and let him drop the captive into her open claws to take to the nest for their young. At other times, flying alone and capturing a bird at a time when he’s not hungry, the peregrine will kill it in the air and then drop it to the ground. When he comes back later to pick it up, he might catch a rat or other animal nibbling on it.
Adam and Eve brought sin into the world. After that, many animals and birds, such as these hawks, became meat eaters for the first time. But another time is soon coming when everything will be happy and at peace again.
Before that takes place, those who have accepted the Lord Jesus as their Savior will be with Him in heaven and will happily look down on a renewed world that will then be at perfect peace. Will you be one of those looking down from heaven on that happy sight? You can be if you will accept the Lord Jesus as your very own Savior.