414 



Falco communis, Gm. Syst. Nat. p. 270 (1788) ; Sharpe, Cat. B. M. 



i, p. 376 ; Ball, S. F. vii, p. 196. 

 Falco calidus, Lath. 2nd. Orn. i, p. 41 (1790) ; Blyth, Ibis, 1863, p. 7. 



Bhyri $, Bhyri bacha <$, H. ; Bhyri dega, Tel.; Dega, Yerkli: 

 Falcon , Tiercel c? , of British Falconers. 



Coloration. Adult. Above bluish grey, darker on the head and 

 nape, pale on the rump and upper tail-coverts; feathers of the head 

 and nape, the scapulars, and sometimes other parts of the upper 

 plumage dark-shafted, and all feathers except those of the head 

 and hind-neck with dark cross-bands ; forehead whitish ; a broad 

 cheek-stripe from beneath the eye black ; primaries blackish, the 

 inner webs, except near the end, closely barred with white ; 

 secondaries ashy grey with darker cross-bands ; tail dark grey or 

 blackish, with numerous ashy-grey cross-bars, closer together and 

 paler towards the base, extreme tip and borders near tip whitish ; 

 lower parts white with a rufous tinge, a few brown or black spots 

 on the lower breast and middle of the abdomen, and narrow dark 

 bars on the flanks, lower wing-coverts, thigh-coverts, and under 

 tail-coverts. 



Young birds are very dark brown above, the feathers edged 

 with rufous, the buff bases of the feathers showing about the nape ; 

 the tail-feathers with about 6 transversely oval rufous spots on each 

 web, forming imperfect cross-bars ; primaries as in adults ; cheek- 

 stripe narrower; lower parts white, buff, or rufescent, spotted, 

 except on the throat, with broad brown elongate median stripes, 

 becoming broad spots on the flanks. 



After the first moult Peregrines are brownish grey above and 

 gradually acquire a pure slaty-grey back. The spots and bars on 

 the lower parts are much broader at first and grow smaller and 

 narrower with age, the drops on the breast become narrow lines 

 and ultimately disappear altogether, the bands fade off the under 

 tail-coverts, and in very old birds only small scattered specks 

 remain on the abdomen and triangular markings on the thigh- 

 coverts. The general tint of the lower surface varies from almost 

 white to light rufous. 



Bill bluish, black at tip ; cere yellow ; irides brown ; legs and 

 feet yellow. 



Length of a female about 19 ; tail 7*5 ; wing 14*5 ; tarsus 2'1 ; 

 mid-toe without claw 2-25 ; bill from gape 1'3. Males are con- 

 siderably smaller: length about 16 ; wing 12*5. 



Distribution. Almost worldwide. The Peregrine is a winter 

 visitor to Southern Asia, and is found in suitable places during the 

 winter throughout India, Ceylon, and Burma, and even in the 

 Laccadive and Andaman Islands. 



Habits, $c. The Peregrine is seldom found far from water, and 

 is most common on the sea-coast or near rivers and large swamps, 

 doubtless from the abundance of its prey, which consists largely 

 of ducks and waders ; pigeons, partridges, &c., are also captured 

 by the Peregrine. It is the largest and most powerful of Indian 



