The Tales of a Handlebar Mustache

unknownmercury:

This is a Peregrine Falcon, one of the most amazing animals ever. Why? Here’s why.

• For one thing, look at that beak and those claws. This isn’t a worm-hunter, my friend.
• Its diet consists of other birds. Which it usually has to catch flying, since trees and power lines will mess it up in a bad way.
• They’ve been known to catch and eat things varying from the tiny, quick, 3 gram humming bird to the 3.1 kg Sandhill Crane. For reference, the Peregrine only gets as big as 1.5 kg, for the larger females.
• What’s that? The dexterity needed to catch a humming bird and the strength to take a crane aren’t enough? How about the fact that they eat smaller raptors, too? Like for instance the American Kestrel. Oh yeah.
• Along with those amazing dietary habits, they’re fast. How fast? Well, a Peregrine Falcon can dive at speeds in excess of 320 km/h, which translates to about 200 mph. That speed would normally damage a bird’s lungs.
• But they have tubercles on their beak that direct the air flow. A membrane in their eyes keeps wind and debris from blinding them. These birds were designed for speed.
• Just look at this thing. His body language is a promise to fuck your shit up if you look at him funny.

Peregrine Falcons. They fucking rock.