Medium-sized bird of prey (about 51 cm or 20 in), sturdy, with short wings (wingspan about 130 cm or 4.5 ft), broad at the base and pointed. The females are larger than males. Slate grey back plumage and lighter colour in the belly area (pale, ocher or pink), with a pattern of thin dark horizontal bands. Short bill; nape and head covered by a dark cap and a distinctive wide and dark moustachial stripe. Yellow legs with bare tarsi.
Rocky environments
Little demanding and adaptable. It usually chooses rocky gorges, cliffs and even buildings to nest. This raptor prefers nearby open spaces to hunt, but it is present in humid areas, pastures, crops, river areas, non-dense forest formations, and even urban spaces.
Species resident all year round in Malaga. The province also hosts wintering individuals. The juveniles usually make short or dispersive migratory trips. La reproducción se inicia en febrero. A single annual laying of 3 to 5 eggs. It feeds exclusively on small and medium-sized birds that it catches in flight.
It is a bird more frequent than it seems in the province. It is usually present in cities like Malaga City or Ronda and in most of the mountains of the province. In the Great Path it can be watched, for example, in stages 1, 6, 7, 9, 10, 13, 19, 21, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 32 and 33.
The hunting technique of the Peregrine Falcon includes steep plunges downwards from high altitude to surprise its prey. In these plunges it can reach speeds of more than 200 miles per hour. Its name (peregrin) refers to being a traveling or wandering hawk as it usually makes migratory movements (especially to the populations of northern Europe) or wanders in search of hunting territories.
- Altos de Hondonero
- El Chorro (Paraje Natural del Desfiladero de Los Gaitanes)
- El Torcal
- Fuente de los 100 Caños
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 01. Málaga - Rincón de la Victoria
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 06. Frigiliana - Cómpeta
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 07. Cómpeta - Canillas de Aceituno
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 10. Riogordo - Alfarnate
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 13. Archidona - Villanueva de Tapia
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 19. Campillos - Embalses del Guadalhorce
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 20. Embalses del Guadalhorce - Estación de El Chorro (Álora)
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 21. Estación de El Chorro (Álora) - Carratraca - Ardales
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 23. El Burgo - Ronda
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 24. Ronda - Estación de Benaoján
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 25. Estación de Benaoján - Jimera de Líbar
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 26. Jimera de Líbar - Benalauría
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 27. Benalauría - Genalguacil
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 32. Ojén - Mijas
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 33. Mijas - Benalmádena
- Great Malaga Path (GR 249). Stage 35. Alhaurín de la Torre - Málaga
- Lagunas de Campillos
- Llanos de Líbar
- Montes de Malaga Natural Park
- Mouth of the Guadalhorce Nature Reserve
- Paraje Natural Sierra Crestellina
- Sierra de la Utrera
- Tajo de Ronda
- Tajos del Fraile, Doña Ana y Gómer
- Valle del Río Genil y Pantano de Iznájar
- Valley of the Guadalhorce River
Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |