The fastest animal in the world is the peregrine falcon.

The fastest animal on the planet? The peregrine falcon, a deadly hunter of other birds that it usually catches in the air. At supersonic speeds, it can reach up to 389 kilometers per hour. But even more than its speed, the peregrine falcon has another fundamental characteristic that makes it a unique and central bird in the chessboard of sustainability seen from above: ubiquity. It can be found at all latitudes of the Earth, from the Arctic Poles to the tropics, and in its modern history, this wonderful bird, already trained to hunt in the Middle Ages, has become a symbol of the devastating effects of pesticides on nature. Indeed, the indiscriminate and excessive use of pesticides has put the peregrine falcon's existence at risk in parts of the world, from North America to the most developed regions of Europe, where agriculture, with uncontrolled pesticide use, has caused enormous damage.

FASTEST ANIMAL IN THE WORLD

And it was precisely thanks to studies on the peregrine falcon that the problems, and the waste to health and nature, resulting from the use of pollutants throughout the food supply chain became clear: from farm to fork, from producer to consumer.

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THE PEREGRINE FALCON IN ITALY

Even though the peregrine falcon is very annoyed by cohabitation with humans, in Italy the peregrine falcon has even gone so far as to nest in cities, on towers and bell towers, chimneys of large industrial complexes and on electricity pylons, especially in the central Prealps area. In recent years some nests have been sighted on the tops of the Genoa's Lanterna in 2013 and 2017 on the Pirelli skyscraper in Milan.Certainly a positive fact that testifies to the positive growth trend in the number of specimens in our country, recovering since the 1980s as well as the saturation of the species' preferred habitats, represented precisely by natural rock faces.

With the era of over-hunting and pesticide abuse now over, since their abuse was banned, nest disturbance is now the main threat to the Peregrine Falcon, especially from humans. For example, climbing, a seemingly harmless pastime often practiced even by unsuspecting nature lovers, frequently causes adult falcons to abandon their nests. If this happens during the early nesting phase, the chicks starve to death or become prey to crows and other birds of prey.

Another risk factor is the construction of power lines or ski lifts, although neither is remotely comparable to the massive use of pesticides, which ceased after the international ban on DDT. Despite these threats that still loom over the species, as mentioned, the peregrine falcon continues to breed and grow, with a positive trend in the Alpine region, as well as in the rest of peninsular Italy. With peak numbers that give hope for the repopulation of the peregrine falcon: in Sardinia, for example, Peregrine falcon numbers have quadrupled in 26 years (40 pairs in 1979, estimated to be around 200 pairs in 2005).

HOW THE PEREGRIN FALCON HUNTS

Throughout history, the peregrine falcon has been considered the god of the sky, feared, worshipped, and respected, but also subjected to ruthless hunting. Named for its head plumage, reminiscent of medieval pilgrims' hoods, and identified with the god Horus in Egyptian mythology and Apollo's messenger in Greek mythology, peregrine falcons are crucial to maintaining biodiversity in many places due to their hunting effectiveness and the type of prey they prey on, especially city pigeons, which could also threaten the ecosystem if overpopulated. During World War II, however, the British government moved toward the planned elimination of the species precisely because it was the main predator of passenger pigeons used to communicate with the rest of the world. French Resistance.

The main and fascinating feature of the peregrine falcon is its flight: lightning-fast, elegant, elusive, perfected to maximize hunting effectiveness. In a dive, it descends at the speed of a sports car at full speed, so much so that it is known as the fastest animal on the planet.

Its teardrop-shaped body, short tail, and large wings are designed to maximize aerodynamics, as is the rest of its body, which is not particularly massive. Its eyeballs, for example, are packed with visual sensors, allowing it to locate prey within a three-kilometer radius. Its super-vision allows it to select prey from among the slowest and weakest birds, and the speed of its dive makes the peregrine falcon's attacks lethal and unexpected, thanks in part to its razor-sharp talons, which are devastating to its prey. Its physical characteristics and hunting maneuvers, including lightning-fast and sudden dives that would knock any human unconscious, contribute to its reputation as the top gun in the animal kingdom.

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