The Peregrine falcon, known as the Peregrine belongs to the Falconidae. It was historically known as the duck hawk and is a cosmopolitan bird of prey (raptor). The crow-sized falcon has a blue-grey back, barred white underpants and a black head and is famously known for its speed.

It reaches up to 320 km/h during hunting, which makes it the fastest member of the animal kingdom. Peregrine falcon is sexually dimorphic, with females being large than males, typical for bird-eating raptors.

The breeding range of peregrine includes land regions from the tropics to the Arctic tundra. It is nearly found everywhere except Polar Regions, high mountains and most tropical rainforests. It is absent from New Zealand. Peregrine is an example of urban wildlife.

Experts have recognized 17 to 19 subspecies, which vary from each other. Their diet consists exclusively of medium-sized birds, sometimes hunting small mammals, small reptiles or even insects.

The peregrine falcon is a respected falconry bird due to their hunting ability, availability and versatility. The above-given multicolour stamp was issued on 30th December 1992 by India. It has a face value of 6 Indian rupees. A portrait of Peregrine Falcon is seen in the middle of the stamp, while the name of the country is at the bottom. The face value is in the bottom right.

Image Courtesy: - Colnect.com