![]() ![]() The authors used the dam in the background of the video footage as a frame of reference to precisely and accurately recreate the peregrine’s diving trajectory, something that is nearly impossible to do filming peregrines in the wild against the sky.īack at the lab, the scientists positioned the wings and body of a stuffed peregrine falcon to resemble a falcon diving at maximum speed, and then used it to create a life-sized plastic version. High-speed cameras facing the dam wall filmed falcon dives from different angles. A trainer at the top of the dam released a falcon from the same spot each time, and a second trainer at the base used a lure to attract the bird’s attention. Researchers first trained several peregrine falcons to dive from the top of a dam to the bottom, following a specific and predictable flight path. Nevertheless, that is exactly what a team of researchers in Germany managed to do, and they recently published the results in PLOS ONE. Dives are infrequent in the wild, we usually only see them from a distance, and their blistering speeds make the birds difficult to film. ![]() However, conducting in-depth analysis of the aerodynamic properties of peregrine falcons is no easy task. Peregrine falcons hunt unknowing prey by diving from above at speeds of up to 200 miles per hour, maintaining an astounding degree of maneuverability and precision. It is easy to see why these remarkable birds are so charismatic. Once an endangered species in the United States, their population comeback has been attributed to the widespread ban of DDT and other pesticides in the 1970s, and is a great success story in conservation. Peregrine falcons, the world’s fastest-moving animal, are found on six continents around the world. ![]()
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