Peregrine falcons
NOIDA: Peregrine falcons have made an appearance in Noida and Greater Noida with birders spotting quite a few raptors over the past few days. Touted as the fastest in the entire animal kingdom, these birds migrate to NCR every winter to escape cold.
Historically, known as the duck hawk in North America, the English and scientific name of the bird means ‘wandering falcon’ as they don’t stay at a particular place for too long.
“Peregrine falcon is not just the fastest bird, but it is the fastest species in the entire animal kingdom. For bird watchers, this is a good time to catch a glimpse of these hunters. The birds usually park themselves at a vantage point and swoop down and catch their prey,” Jaswinder Waraich, a Noida-based birder, said. These falcons can fly at a speed of 320 kmph.