Peregrine Falcon

Watercolour on Arches paper ($POA)

49 cm W x 68 cm H
The peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) is the world’s most widespread raptor found nearly everywhere on Earth, except extreme polar regions, very high mountains, and most tropical rainforests. The peregrine is renowned for its speed, reaching over 320 km/h during its characteristic hunting stoop (high-speed dive), making it the fastest bird in the world, and the fastest member of the animal kingdom. Although its diet consists almost exclusively of medium-sized birds, the peregrine will sometimes hunt small mammals, small reptiles, or even insects. Reaching sexual maturity at one year, it mates for life and nests in a scrape, normally on cliff edges or, in recent times, on tall human-made structures. Since 1991, a pair of Peregrine Falcons has been observed in a nest on the rooftop of 367 Collins Street. As home to the only known peregrine falcon nesting site within Melbourne’s CBD, the building plays a surprisingly important role to the ongoing breeding success of these rare and fiercely territorial birds. The magnificent specimen in my artwork was recovering from injury in a raptor sanctuary before being released back into the wild.