By AMTHE PEREGRINE

FALCON

The peregrine falcon belongs to the Falconine family, its genus is called Falco, and its species is Raptor

FAMILY, GENUS, AND SPECIES?

Size: Body, 14 to 19 in (36 to 49 cm); wingspan, 3.3 to 3.6 ft (1 to 1.1 m) Weight:18.8 to 56.5 oz (530 to 1,600 g)

They use lungs to breathe

WHAT DO THEY LOOK LIKE?

They have a wide range of habitats, such as a frozen tundra, hot deserts, tropical regions, forests, wetlands, savannahs, and mountain ranges.

Niche: Peregrines are cliff roosters that are exclusive bird predators.

HABITAT AND NICHE

The Peregrine Falcon and the pack rat have a mutualistic relationship. The pack rat lives under and in the falcon's nest, taking the scraps from the falcon's previous meal. This keeps the nest clean and gives the pack rat food. While this benefits both parties, it is not similar to the relationship between the falcon and feather mites. This parasitic relationship benefits the mites by given them food while hurting the falcon.

SYMBIOTIC REALATIONSHIP(S)

Peregrine Falcons eat mostly birds, of an enormous variety—450 North American species have been documented as prey, and the number worldwide may be as many as 2,000 species. They have been observed killing birds as large as a Sandhill Crane, as small as a hummingbird, and as elusive as a White-throated Swift. Typical prey include shorebirds, ptarmigan, ducks, grebes, gulls, storm-petrels, pigeons, and songbirds including jays, thrushes, longspurs, buntings, larks, waxwings, and starlings. Peregrine Falcons also eat substantial numbers of bats. They occasionally pirate prey, including fi sh and rodents, from other raptors.

The only organisms that would consume the peregrine falcon are scavengers(after the falcon has died) because the peregrine falcon is a carnivore and typically at the top of its food chain/web.

SOURCE OF ENERGY?

Peregrine falcons reproduce sexually, meaning they use another mate, they usually lay 3-4 eggs, during their mating season, which is late March, throughout May.

Reproductive benefi ts: Say one egg falls out of

the nest, gets smashed, (ect.) there is still 2-3 eggs left so the line will continue.

REPRODUCTION

Historically, the use of DDT (Dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane) as a pesticide resulted in a rapid decline in the population. DDT and DDE (a breakdown product of DDT) cause eggshell thinning, resulting in the eggshell breaking while being incubated. Today, DDE is still found in some areas and DDT is used in some countries where the peregrine falcon winters. Great-horned owls and golden eagles will occasionally kill young peregrine falcons

THREATS/ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS

Threats they pose: they eat small rodents, which smaller birds consume, so that creates competition for food(which the falcon usually wins).

THREATS THEY POSE TO OTHER ORGANISMS

Google images (pictures) http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/pereg

rine-falcon/

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/peregrine_falcon/lifehistory

https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110419200406AACeFp2

https://sites.google.com/site/peregrinefalconlee/home/blog-1/untitledpost

http://www.defenders.org/peregrine-falcon/threats

SOURCES