The peregrine falcon is the fastest creature on the planet, capable of more than 200 mph as it drops out of the sun on unsuspecting prey. A few years back, the peregrine was suffering the same fate as other raptors–it was so depleted by ingested DDT, its eggs collapsed under the weight of the mothers. The falcon, though, was a happy success story: After the banning of DDT, the Peregrine Fund over 25 years released 4,000 birds raised in captivity, and recovery has been widespread throughout the States.

The peregrine is found in nearly every corner of the globe except for Antarctica, appropriate for a bird whose name means “wanderer”, and is commonly used in falconry, which has been practiced for at least 4,000 years. This particular falconry peregrine is named Kublai Khan and lives in rural Utah, where photographer Ace Kvale is based. Ace has an amazing body of work–if we’re lucky, he’ll send more pics of this beautiful bird and if we’re really lucky I’ll wrestle him into a gallery of some of his most spectacular images.

Tagged as: wildlife