Birds In Motion Profile: Dash
Peregrine Falcon
Posted by Julia Grant June 24, 2016
Meet Dash from our Birds In Motion Demonstration. Dash is a Peregrine falcon and he’s three years old.
Peregrine falcons are the fastest living animals on the planet! They can fly at speeds up to 390 km/hr. As a bird of prey they actually eat other birds and use their speed in hunting. Because they fly so fast, Peregrine falcons have built in goggles – something called a nictitating membrane can cover their eyes to protect them at high speeds. The dark feathers below their eyes also help protect them from the glare of the sun; similar to how baseball or football players use dark paint below their eyes.
Peregrine falcons can be found all over the world – on every continent except for Antarctica. You might even spot some in downtown Vancouver. They make their nests on ledges or roofs of buildings and can be seen chasing pigeons and starlings. There are also some who make their home around Grouse Mountain.
You can come visit Dash at our Birds In Motion Demonstration where he loves to soar high above the mountaintop and then dive towards the ground for his food.