Description:

A fairly large, powerful falcon with a dark hood, with relatively short tail. Adult has slate-grey upperparts, broad and clean-cut black moustachial stripe, and whitish underparts with narrow blackish barring; juvenile has browner upperparts, heavily streaked underparts, broad moustachial stripe, and barred uppertail.

Distribution:

Uncommon passage migrant through all the areas of Gilgit-Baltistan, mainly through east and central areas. Breeds up to 4000m in open valley mountains, rocky hills and grasslands, after breeding also found around lakes, large rivers and marshes.

Behavior:

Birds taken mainly in flight: when searching for prey, often flies high or perches at prominent site; once it locates prey, it typically pursues it at great speed, frequently culminating in very rapid stoop; prey normally killed in mid-air. Chiefly feeds on birds; occasionally mammals, including bats, rats, rabbits and voles; also insects, reptiles and exceptionally fish.

Photo Gallery:

Range & Occurrence:

Resident Species

Summer Breeder

Winter Visitor

Passage Migrant

Distribution Map of Peregrine Falcon in Gilgit-Baltistan (Status: )

Seasonal Occurrence of Peregrine Falcon

Resources:

Birds of Pakistan: Helm Field Guides (R. Grimmett & T. Inskipp)
The Birds of Pakistan (T. J. Roberts)
Birds of the Indian Subcontinent (C. Inskipp, R. Grimmett & T. Inskipp)
Birds of South Asia: The Ripley Guide (P. Rasmussen & J. Anderton)
Birds of India: Collins Field Guide (N. Arlott)
Handbook of the Birds of India and Pakistan (S. Ali & S. D. Ripley)
Handbook of the Birds of the World (https://www.hbw.com)
The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World, 6th Edition
iNaturalist BoGB (inaturalist.org/projects/birds-of-gilgit-baltistan)
Birds of Gilgit-Baltistan (http://fb.me/birdsgb)

*Gallery images on this page are shared from flickr.com, and are copyrighted to their respective creators or owners.