What is the fastest living creature

A. On land this record is held by the cheetah, which can clock up to 70 miles an hour over short distances. However, the fastest creature of all is the peregrine falcon, Falco peregrinus, which can dive through the air from heights of 600m at more than 160mph, when they swoop down after prey.

Q. How big are peregrine falcons

A. Their bodies are around 40cm in length, they weigh up to 1.5kg and they have a wingspan of up to 120 cm.

Q. What should I look out for when trying to spot one

A. They have either light or dark blue-grey feathers on their backs and buff-coloured stomachs. Their cheeks and chins are white and they have a distinctive moustache just below their eyes.

Because of their wide wingspan and short tails they look like anchors when flying.

Q. What prey do they make such high-speed dives for

A. Mainly birds such as starlings, sparrows and pigeons, but they occasionally hunt for small mammals such as rats and rabbits. They're also known to eat insects and reptiles.

Q. How do they catch other birds

A. In mid-flight: they usually kill or stun their prey using a closed claw to deliver a swift blow and then catch it in the air, or after it falls to the ground.

Q. Are peregrine falcons endangered

A. Fortunately not. They have suffered periods of decline in numbers in the past, though. The military ordered the destruction of these birds of prey during the war because of the threat they posed to carrier-pigeons. And they suffered again during the 70s when the chemical fertiliser DDT was introduced. However their numbers have increased since these threats have passed.

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by Lisa Cardy