Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) by Ray

And these you shall regard as an abomination among the birds; they shall not be eaten, they are an abomination: the eagle, the vulture, the buzzard, the kite, and the falcon after its kind; every raven after its kind, the ostrich, the short-eared owl, the sea gull, and the hawk after its kind; (Leviticus 11:13-16 NKJV)

Here is a short video about the Peregrine Falcon and the Goshawk. It shows the speed and maneuverability of these fantastic birds. Thought you might enjoy watching it.

“Tiny spy cameras allow you to see some of the world’s most magnificent birds in flight. Watch this video to learn how the fastest bird on the planet, the peregrine falcon, keeps control at mind-numbing speeds, and take a flight with the master of manoeuvrability, the Gos Hawk, as it flies through dense woodland. Great animal video from BBC wildlife show Animal Camera, with music by Gregory Paul. By BBCWorldwide”
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The Peregrine belongs to the Falconiformes Order. “The Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus), also known as the Peregrine, and historically as the Duck Hawk in North America, is a widespread bird of prey in the family Falconidae. A large, crow-sized falcon, it has a blue-gray back, barred white underparts, and a black head and “moustache”. Typical of bird-eating raptors, Peregrine Falcons are sexually dimorphic, with females being considerably larger than males. The Peregrine is renowned for its speed, reaching over 325 km/h (210 mph) during its characteristic hunting stoop, making it the fastest member of the animal kingdom.

The Peregrine’s breeding range includes land regions from the Arctic tundra to the tropics. It can be found nearly everywhere on Earth, except extreme polar regions, very high mountains, and most tropical rainforests; the only major ice-free landmass from which it is entirely absent is New Zealand. This makes it the world’s most widespread bird of prey.

While its diet consists almost exclusively of medium-sized birds, the Peregrine will occasionally hunt small mammals, small reptiles, or even insects. Reaching sexual maturity at one year, it mates for life and nests in a scrape, normally on cliff edges or, in recent times, on tall human-made structures.” (Wikipedia)

Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) ©USFWS

and the red kite, the falcon, and the kite in their kinds, and every raven in its kind, and the ostrich, the owl, the sea gull, and the hawk in their kinds, (Deuteronomy 14:13-15 NASB)

The Goshawk belongs to the Accipitriformes Order of Kites, Hawks and Eagles. “The Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis), /ˈɡɒs.hɔːk/ (Old English: gōsheafoc, “goose-hawk”), is a medium-large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes other diurnal raptors, such as eagles, buzzards and harriers.

It is a widespread species that inhabits the temperate parts of the northern hemisphere. In Europe and North America, where there is only one goshawk, it is often referred to (officially and unofficially, respectively) as simply the “Goshawk”. It is mainly resident, but birds from colder regions migrate south for the winter. In North America, migratory goshawks are often seen migrating south along mountain ridge tops in September and October.

This species hunts birds and mammals in a variety of woodland habitats, often utilizing a combination of speed and obstructing cover to ambush birds and mammals. Goshawks are often seen flying along adjoining habitat types, such as the edge of a forest and meadow; flying low and fast hoping to surprise unsuspecting prey. They are usually opportunistic predators, as are most birds of prey.” (Wikipedia)

These are just two of the birds of prey that the Lord created. What speed and agility He gave them. Unfortunately, because of the curse, they use those traits to attack and eat other birds and small mammals.

See Birds of the Bible

Birds of the Bible – Falcons

Birds of the Bible – Hawks

Wordless Birds

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