The
peregrine falcon (
Falco peregrinus), also known as the
peregrine, and historically as the
duck hawk in
North America, is a widespread
bird of prey in the
family Falconidae. A large,
crow-sized
falcon, it has a blue-grey back, barred white underparts, and a black head. As is typical of
bird-eating raptors, peregrine falcons are
sexually dimorphic, females being considerably larger than males. The peregrine is renowned for its speed, reaching over during its characteristic hunting stoop (high speed dive), making it the
fastest member of the animal kingdom. According to a
National Geographic TV programme, the highest measured speed of a peregrine falcon is .