The fastest animal in the world, the peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), is featured this month in the Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority’s 2026 Year of the Raptor community awareness campaign.

Goulburn Broken CMA project officer Janice Mentiplay-Smith said the peregrine falcon was recorded reaching speeds around 180km per hour and was skilled at making ‘blink and you miss it’ surgical strikes on unsuspecting prey, usually other birds.

Peregrine falcons are not nest builders; instead, they take advantage of the labours of other birds and re-purpose abandoned nests in which to lay their eggs, or use recesses of cliff ledges or tree hollows.

“They are quick to adapt to a changing environment and have learnt that window ledges on high-rise city buildings are a great substitute for a tall cliff,” Ms Mentiplay-Smith said.

Peregrine falcons are fiercely territorial and will defend their patch against any interlopers, including their own teenaged chicks, who are driven away by their parents after a few months to find their own home – whether it be a cliff top or high-rise building. They generally maintain a home range of about 20 to 30 square kilometres.

The Goulburn Broken catchment is home to the peregrine falcon; however, at one point in time, their tenure was precarious.

Agricultural pesticides that reduced eggshell thickness were commonly used from the 1960s to the 1980s. This almost resulted in peregrine falcon extinction, as thin eggshells meant fewer chicks were able to fully develop and hatch. Thankfully by the late 1980s these chemicals were banned and peregrine falcon populations rebounded.

“The peregrine falcon lives throughout Australia but is not considered overly common anywhere, which is why it’s a treat to spot one,” Ms Mentiplay-Smith said.

“It is also found in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas; however, chemical use has impacted on populations in some areas, where they may be locally extinct.”

Bird watching is an enjoyable way to see the Goulburn Broken catchment's beautiful birdlife, including its amazing raptors.

Local birding group Murray Goulburn BirdLife meets monthly to conduct outings and enjoy the local environment.

A bird survey will be held on Saturday, November 21 at Mt Samaria.

For more information, contact robertsdon680@gmail.com.

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Sunday, 21st January 2029

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