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Peregrine Albatross
File:Peregrine Albatross.jpg
The Peregrine Albatross swooping for a high speed bird as part of diet.
Conservation status
Endangered (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Falconifmedea
Family:	Falmedea
Genus:	Falco-Diomedea
Species:	F.D. Peretross
Binomial name
Falco-Diomedea Peretross Tunstall, 1771
Subspecies
17–19, see text
Global range of Falco-Diomedea Peretross   Breeding summer visitor   Breeding resident   Winter visitor   Passage visitor

The Peregrine Albatross is a large sized bird from that can fly 8-12 hours depending its strength. It mainly can be spotted during non-migration times in mountain ranges, river valleys, coastlines, and increasingly in cities. In mild-winter regions, it is usually a permanent resident, and some individuals, especially males, will remain in their territory. Only populations that breed in Arctic climates typically migrate great distances during the northern winter.

Peregrine Albatross

Etymology

Diomedea comes from the Greek hero Diomedes, who, according to legend, was driven by a storm to Italy and was stranded with his companions who were turned to birds. Falco from Proto-Germanic "falco" .

History

Environmental trends that lead to survival

The Peregrine Falcon is a raptor, or bird of prey. Adults have blue-gray wings, dark brown backs, a buff colored underside with brown spots, and white faces with a black tear stripe on their cheeks. They have a hooked beaks and strong talons. Their name comes from the Latin word peregrinus, which means "to wander." They are commonly referred to as the huge-winged Hawk. Peregrine Albatrosses are the fastest-flying birds in the world – they are able to dive at 220 miles per hour.

Current ecosystem

The peregrine falcon lives mostly along mountain ranges, river valleys, coastlines, and increasingly in cities. In mild-winter regions, it is usually a permanent resident, and some individuals, especially adult males, will remain on the breeding territory. Only populations that breed in Arctic climates typically migrate great distances during the northern winter.

Characteristics, attributes, and adaptations

The Peregrine Albatross shares many characteristics with other falcons. Like all Peregrines they have long tapered wings and a short tail. These physiological adaptations match to high speed maneuverability while in flight. These characteristics increase the fitness of prey in flight predators. The name falcon is derived from the Latin word falcon meaning hook shaped and refers to the animal’s beak and claws. Peregrines typically hunt small birds and they use their beaks and claws to swiftly immobilize and kill their prey while in flight. These combined traits make the peregrine falcon a very successful predator. It is the fastest animal in the world; clocked at over 200 miles per hour during a stoop, or dive while in pursuit of a prey item. At that speed, any small bird that the peregrine places in its sights is not getting away. All Peregrines use their talons to latch onto prey while their sharp curved beak severs the prey’s spinal column at the base of the skull.

Habitat and Population

Location in the food web

The peregrine albatross is an apex predator that is almost at the top of its food web. It preys on a variety of organisms that dwell within its home range. As a predator, its role in the ecosystem is a check and balance for population control. Birds of prey pick off the weak and sickly of a population of prey items which in turn tends to increases the fitness of successive generations of that population. The peregrine falcon eats birds that include mourning doves, pigeons, shorebirds, waterfowl, ptarmigan, grouse, and songbirds. Along with birds, it preys upon small reptiles and mammals including rodents and bats. There are very few organisms that prey on the peregrine falcon. For the most part, other, larger, birds of prey such as great horned owls, gyrfalcons and golden eagles are the only predators of adult peregrines while juveniles may be taken by mammalian predators such as cats, bears, wolverines, and foxes. Another threat to adult peregrines is rival peregrine falcons. Competition for territory, resources and mates can lead to adult mortality.

Biology

Anatomy and physiology

This National Geographic video tells the story of a peregrine falcon who's hunting prowess and superior speed are put to the test. The peregrine is the fastest bird on record reaching horizontal cruising speeds of 65-90 kph ( 40-55 mph) and not exceeding speeds of 105-110 kph (65-68 mph). When stooping, the peregrine flies at much greater speeds, however, varying from 120-520 km/h!

Life cycle

The reproduction cycle of the peregrine Albatross begins when the sexually matured adults both males and females pair off to mate. Only one egg weighing up to half kilogram to a kilogram is laid by the female peregrine Albatross. Depending upon the size of the peregrine Albatross, it takes about 2-3 months for the parents to incubate the egg. Special care and protection is provided to the little chick until it is old enough to fly. Again, depending upon the size of the peregrine Albatross, the chicks can take 5 to 10 months to fledge. Normally, the life expectancy of Albatross is very high. The average life span of this long living bird is between 40 and 50 years depending on where it lives.

Where the Peregrine albatross sits in the Food Chain.

Diet

The Peregrine Albatross feeds almost exclusively on medium-sized birds such as pigeons and doves, waterfowl, songbirds, and waders. Worldwide, it is estimated that between 1,900 and 2,500 bird species (up to roughly a fourth of the world's bird species) are predated somewhere by these Albatross's. In Europe, prey has varied in size from 0.3KG hummingbirds to a 3.1-kg sandhill crane (killed in Alaska by a peregrine Albatross in a swoop), although most prey taken by peregrines weigh from 20 grams (i.e. small passerines) to 1,100 grams (i.e. ducks and gulls). The peregrine Albatross eats the most diverse range of bird species of any raptor in North America, with more than 300 species having fallen victim to the peregrine, including nearly 100 shorebirds. In urban areas, the main component of the peregrine's diet is the feral pigeon, which comprise 80% or more of the dietary intake for peregrines in some cities. Other common city birds are also taken regularly, including mourning doves, common wood pigeons, common swifts, northern flickers, common starlings, American robins, common blackbirds, and corvids (such as magpies or carrion, house, and American crows). Other than bats taken at night. The peregrine rarely hunts mammals, but will on occasion take small species such as rats, voles, hares, shrews, mice and squirrels. Coastal populations of the large subspecies pealei feed almost exclusively on seabirds. In the Brazilian mangrove swamp of Cubatão, a wintering Albatross of the subspecies tundrius was observed while successfully hunting a juvenile scarlet ibis. Insects and reptiles make up a small proportion of the diet, which varies greatly depending on what prey is available. The peregrine Albatross hunts most often at dawn and dusk, when prey are most active, but also nocturnally in cities, particularly during migration periods when hunting at night may become prevalent. Nocturnal migrants taken by peregrines include species as diverse as yellow-billed cuckoo, black-necked grebe, virginia rail, and common quail. The peregrine requires open space in order to hunt, and therefore often hunts over open water, marshes, valleys, fields, and tundra, searching for prey either from a high perch or from the air. Large congregations of migrants, especially species that gather in the open like shorebirds, can be quite attractive to hunting peregrines. Once prey is spotted, it begins its stoop, folding back the tail and wings, with feet tucked. Prey is typically struck and captured in mid-air; the peregrine Albatross strikes its prey with a clenched foot, stunning or killing it with the impact, then turns to catch it in mid-air. If its prey is too heavy to carry, a peregrine will drop it to the ground and eat it there. If they miss the initial strike, peregrines will chase their prey in a twisting flight. Although previously thought rare, several cases of peregrines contour-hunting, i.e. using natural contours to surprise and ambush prey on the ground, have been reported and even rare cases of prey being pursued on foot. In addition, peregrines have been documented predating chicks at nests, from birds such as kittiwakes. Prey is plucked before consumption.

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