Question 1

True or false: Peregrine falcons primarily eat small mammals like mice and voles.

Accepted Answer

False. They are almost exclusively bird hunters, preying on pigeons, ducks, and songbirds caught in flight.

Question 2

True or false: Peregrine falcons mate for life and often return to the same nest site each year.

Accepted Answer

True. They are monogamous and highly territorial, reusing cliffside or urban nests for many breeding seasons.

Question 3

True or false: Peregrine falcons have been recorded diving at speeds over 240 miles per hour.

Accepted Answer

True. They are the fastest animals on Earth; the highest recorded dive speed is 389 km/h (242 mph) during a stoop.

Question 4

True or false: Peregrine falcons were nearly wiped out in North America due to DDT pesticide use.

Accepted Answer

True. DDT caused eggshell thinning, leading to population crashes; recovery efforts included captive breeding programs.

Question 5

True or false: Peregrine falcons can hover in place like a hummingbird when scanning for prey.

Accepted Answer

False. They cannot hover; they rely on high perches or fast, direct flight. Kestrels are the falcons that hover.

Question 6

True or false: Peregrine falcons have a third eyelid called a nictitating membrane that protects their eyes during dives.

Accepted Answer

True. This transparent membrane sweeps across the eye to clear debris and moisture while maintaining vision at high speed.

Question 7

True or false: A peregrine falcon's beak has a special notch to sever the spinal cord of prey mid-air.

Accepted Answer

True. The tomial tooth is a notch on the upper beak that helps quickly kill prey by biting the neck.

Question 8

True or false: Peregrine falcons can see ultraviolet light to track rodent urine trails.

Accepted Answer

False. While raptors see UV, peregrines primarily hunt birds in flight; this UV trait is more common in kestrels and owls.

Peregrine Falcon Trivia Questions