Peregrine falcons

The Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) is renowned as the fastest animal on Earth, capable of breathtaking stoops — hunting dives — that exceed 320 km/h (200 mph), during which a special bony cone in its nostril protects its lungs from air pressure and a translucent third eyelid shields its eyes while keeping prey in sharp focus. Adults are slate‑grey above with finely barred pale underparts and a distinctive bold black moustache mark beneath each eye, while females are around one‑third larger than males and juveniles are dark chocolate‑brown with heavy streaking. They nest in a simple scrape on cliff ledges, but have also famously adapted to city life, nesting on cathedrals, bridges and high buildings where pigeons provide a ready food supply. Once decimated across Britain by DDT poisoning and persecution, they have made a spectacular recovery since the 1960s ban on the pesticide, and today around 1,500 pairs breed across the UK — found on every continent except Antarctica, truly the world's most widespread bird of prey.