THE TOP GUN OF THE ANIMAL KINGDOM

If you think that the axes of the sky are the pilots of aviation, then you do not know the peregrine falcon. He does not need the latest generation of engines or sophisticated electronic instruments because nature has equipped him with everything he needs to be the fastest animal on the planet: when he dives to catch his prey (for 90% birds)reaches the considerable speed of 350 km/h, faster than a sports car and even the African cheetah. Yes, you read it right... The record is even 389 km/h! 

Its name comes from the dark feathers on its head, which recall a black hood similar to the one worn by pilgrims during their trips to the Middle Ages. 

Revered since the time of Ancient Egypt (the God Horus), during the Second World War it risked extinction by the English government because it fed on the carrier pigeons used to communicate with the French Resistance.

Bird diffused all over the world, except for the Antarctic and the pluvial forests, it owes its extraordinary ability of flight to the physical conformation (drop body, short tail, long and pointed wings) that makes the most of the principles of aerodynamics.  Note the exceptional view, typical of birds of prey: the eyes see in color and even UV rays, are placed laterally to guarantee a wide field of view and each of them has two points of focus that allow it to identify a prey within 3 km. Hence the proverbial expression "to have the eye of a hawk".

Text: Andre Cortés