Order: Falcons

Female American Kestrel, She-ra at the National Aviary

A small raptor (weighing between 3 to 6 ounces) with a widespread distribution throughout much of the Americas, the American Kestrel is the smallest falcon in North America. It is one of few dimorphic raptors, with the male and female being very differently colored. The best way to tell the difference? Males have blue-gray wings…

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Peregrine Falcon

Peregrine Falcons are one of the most widely distributed land animals in the world, having been observed on every content in the world except for Antarctica. Highly regarded as a noble bird by biologists and licensed falconers, Peregrines have darker, striped plumage and tapered wings for aerodynamic flight. Although currently classified as Least Concern, Peregrine…

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Lanner Falcon side profile

Lanner Falcons are strong, stocky birds with long wings and a relatively short tail, very similar to the North American Peregrine Falcon. Males and females of this species tend to look the same, but females are slightly larger. Lanner Falcons have been used in the sport of falconry for centuries, and are prized for their…

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In The News

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These Plants Can Turn Your Yard into a Hummingbird Haven (Featuring Insight from National Aviary Ornithologist Bob Mulvihill) | A-Z Animals

According to Bob Mulvihill, a Lead Ornithologist at The National Aviary, hummingbirds and flowers have spent millennia shaping each other.

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Peregrine falcons start incubating clutch of 4 eggs in Cathedral of Learning nest | WPXI

The National Aviary says Carla started incubating her eggs after laying a third one on Sunday afternoon.

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Peregrine falcon clutch of eggs growing in Cathedral of Learning nest | WPXI

The clutch of peregrine falcon eggs is growing up high on the Cathedral of Learning.

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Peregrine falcons on Pitt’s Cathedral of Learning lay first egg of season | CBS News

The National Aviary, which runs a livestream of the nest, said Carla laid the first egg around 4 a.m. on Wednesday. It's the first of up to six, though the average peregrine falcon clutch is four. 

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