[mou] Interesting info on falcon speed

[Alt, Mark]

Subject: peregrine speed
From: Mark and Katie Booth <mbooth(AT)IN.NET>
Date: 4 Feb 2002 1:25pm

Hi!

In response to the comment Ron Weiss posted last week about the Animal =
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Planet show with the skydiver and the peregrine, (filmed in England) =3D
here is some of the info that I have.=3D20

In "The Stoop of a Falcon: how fast, how steep, how high", by Vance A. =
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Tucker, Dept of Zoology, Duke University 1999, he writes,=3D20
"recently, two more studies using methods of known accuracy (radar, and
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a computerized optical tracking device) have reported diving speeds of =
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114 mph in a peregrine (Peter and Kestenholtz, 1998), 130 mph in a =3D
gyrfalcon trained for falconry, and in excess of 160 mph in peregrines =
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(Tucker et al., 1998)."  He also notes however that how fast they do fly
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and how fast they can fly are two different things.  In elaborate =3D
studies involving a falconry gyrfalcon, they noted that the bird quickly
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attained a speed of around 130 mph from a height of 1640 feet above the
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ground, increased his drag (opened wings, etc.) to maintain that speed =
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until he came closer to his target when he increased his drag again to =
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slow down before impact.  Remember, however, that this bird considered =
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the prey offered as "easy" targets.  Controlling his rate of descent and
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angle of attack was more important that high speed.  They don't just =3D
"drop out of the sky" as fast as possible, they control their attacks =
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quite carefully.  In a related study, using a tiny accelerometer =3D
attached to the birds, G-forces in excess of 25 were recorded during the
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falcons aerial maneuverings.  Apparently 5 Gs knocks fighter pilots out.

In "Vertical Flight" by Ken Franklin they took several films of trained
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peregrines flying with skydivers and recorded speeds in excess of 200 =
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mph.  He showed some very amazing photos of the falcons at different =3D
speeds and how they align their bodies and wings to reduce drag.  =3D
Apparently, some of his footage has been picked up for viewing on =3D
National Geographic this coming spring.

On the other hand, as incredible as falcons are, I have personally seen
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many falcon stoops that ended in a miss.  I've seen racing homer pigeons
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and pheasants outfly peregrines on a straight a way.  So just like most
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predators, they usually only catch the old, sick, weak and injured.  Or
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slower. =3D20

Good birding,

Mark L. Booth
Director, Take Flight! Wildlife Education


Mark Alt
Brooklyn Center, MN
mark.alt@bestbuy.com

"Birds and their songs are important to me, they add to my enjoyment of
life"=20