Peregrine Falcons | The Fastest Animals on Earth | Britannica

Peregrine falcons frequently grab prey birds from the air, as in Example 9.10. Sometimes they strike at high enough speeds that the force of the impact disables prey birds. A 480 g peregrine falcon high in the sky spies a 240 g pigeon some distance below. The falcon slows to a near stop, then goes into a dive - called a stoop - and picks up speed as she falls. The falcon reaches a vertical speed of 45 m / s before striking the pigeon, which we can assume is stationary. The falcon strikes the pig