The Peregrine
Raptor Aid are delighted to announce that we have been appointed as a distributor of the new ‘The Peregrine Falcon’ monograph, written by two Gloucestershire based raptor enthusiasts, Richard Sale and Steve Watson. ‘The Peregrine Falcon’ investigates all aspects of Peregrine life, from plumage, through diet, population dynamics, breeding and survival.
Peregrine Falcons breed on all continents apart from Antarctica and data has been collected from across that vast range; the authors provide information on each of the nineteen subspecies as to diet, distribution and physical characteristics. Modern technology (inertial measurement units built by RS) has been used to study the flights which have made Peregrines famous as arguably the fastest creature on the planet.
In the second half of the last century the need to increase food production led to the widescale application of chemicals on farmland. But the chemicals had a disastrous effect on Peregrine Falcons, causing both the breaking of eggshells and the killing of adult birds. Everywhere the chemicals were used the Peregrine population fell sharply. Alerted by both amateur and professional ornithologists to an impending catastrophe, governments banned the chemicals. Slowly the Peregrine population began to rise, in part prompted by the bird’s remarkable ability to adapt. In parts of its range the falcon realised that buildings could be utilised as make-shift cliffs for breeding. And where humans congregated, pigeons flourished. That combination of potential breeding sites and high densities of a preferred prey meant an increase in urban living for the resourceful Peregrine, and numbers climbed steadily. The falcons’ arrival in town increased human interest. Nest boxes were provided and video cameras were installed to watch Peregrine family life. Added to its fabulous flying abilities and renowned speed, the falcon that had once been seen only by those who sought it out in remote, wild places, became a star of local CCTV. And now Peregrines have taken up residence on many and varied human structures throughout the UK. This book includes detailed breeding data and photographs from the Evesham Bell Tower, Charing Cross hospital and a quarry in Castle weary, Scotland, being the authors’ 2022 study sites.
‘The Peregrine Falcon’ is a comprehensive book on this most iconic raptor, including 150 full colour photographs from across the world and 235 figures and tables. It runs to 528 pages and is priced at £50 plus P&P. It is available to purchase through this website and the authors have agreed to donate 10% of all sales income through this channel to Raptor Aid to support this charity’s conservation work. We are excited to announce that Raptor Aid are now also stockists and distributors of three other titles written by Richard Sale; The Eurasian Hobby (co-author Anthony Messenger), The Common Kestrel and The Merlin.