The Peregrine Falcon is a bird of prey with a compact body, a wide breast and pointed wings.
The upperparts of its wings and back are slate-grey in the adult and dark brown in the juvenile. The underparts of the wings and the underparts of the adult and the juvenile are whitish, with fine, black, horizontal barring in the adult, and brownish, tear-shaped blotches in the juvenile.
adult Peregrine perched
adult Peregrine in flight
juvenile Peregrine perched
juvenile Peregrine in flight
The female has identical plumage to the male, but is approximately a third larger in size.
The Peregrine has a black, hooded head. This black hood runs down its neck forming the so-called "moustache", a characteristic feature of the species. It has large, black eyes, surrounded by a yellow eye ring.
Its beak is short, conical and wide at the base, with the characteristic prominent "tooth" of all falcons. It is bluish black at the tip and somewhat lighter at the base. Its nostrils have bony tubercles (known as "baffles") which slow airflow when flying at great speed. These holes are covered in yellow skin known as "cere".
Its legs are robust and yellow and have four very long talons ending in very sharp hind claws. The hind claw is larger so as to dispatch its prey swiftly.
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