22 November, 2021
“The dispassionate brown eyes of the Peregrine, more than those of any other bird, have been witness to our struggle for civilization,” wrote celebrated Swedish-American ornithologist Roger Tory Peterson. Peregrine Falcons are birds of extremes and are superlative animals in many ways. Known for being among the world’s fastest birds, peregrines are also among the world’s most widely distributed birds, found on every continent except Antarctica as well as many oceanic islands.
People have been fascinated by peregrines for millennia, and peregrines have one of the oldest and closest relationships with humanity of any wild animal, with their use in falconry dating back to at least 4000 years ago in ancient China. Peregrines are also among the best-studied birds in the world, with thousands of peer-reviewed scientific papers published on their biology and ecology.
Despite this, little is known about where migratory Peregrine Falcons who nest in Europe or North America spend their winters, or how their wintering grounds are linked to their natal or breeding grounds (often termed “migratory connectivity”). IBCP’s Nico Arcilla made a presentation on this subject on Wednesday, November 24th, at the Migratory Landbird Study Group webinar, together with presenters of other migratory bird research in Europe, the UK, and West Africa. More information on her presentation can be found here and the peer-reviewed study from which it is drawn can be found here.