It typically takes 3 years for the young to reach adulthood and be able to breed. Young birds learn to fly 35 to 42 days after hatching. They may sometimes use nests that were built by other birds. Falcons make nests that are called 'scrapes', or simple small depressions dug into the sand or dirt and lined with fine materials. Eggs are laid in a nest high on cliffs, tall trees, or tall buildings. Peregrine falcons lay one egg every 48 hours, for a total of from 2 to 6 eggs. Females usually lay their eggs in mid-May and they usually hatch in mid-June. Peregrine falcons breed between March and May, depending on how far north they are breeding. Once the pair has formed, they begin to hunt cooperatively and females begin to beg for food from the male. Prior to egg-laying, the pair will engage in incredible aerial displays, involving power dives, tight cornering, high soaring, and body rolls during a dive. Both sexes may then engage in "ledge displays", centered on the area of their nest, or scrape.
Individuals may also peep at each other, preen, nibble their mate's toes, or "bill" (gently grab the other bird's bill in their own). Eventually they sit at the nest ledge side by side. The development of a pair bond is first indicated by the male and female roosting near each other. Males display at nest ledges to attract females and advertise ownership to other falcons. Both males and females have a strong attachment to previous nesting sites, which may explain monogamy over multiple breeding seasons, rather than attachment between individuals. Peregrine falcons form monogamous pair bonds that often last throughout many breeding seasons. These animals are found in the following types of habitat.They have been observed breeding as high as 3600 meters elevation in the Rocky Mountains of North America. They have recently begun to colonize urban areas because tall buildings are suitable for nesting in this species, and because of the abundance of pigeons as prey items. They are most common in tundra and coastal areas and rare in sub-tropical and tropical habitats. Peregrine falcons prefer open habitats, such as grasslands, tundra, and meadows. They typically migrate along sea coasts, long lake shores, barrier islands, mountain ranges, or at sea.
Northernmost populations breed in the tundra of Alaska and Canada, and migrate to central Argentina and Chile. Peregrine falcons migrate long distances between breeding and winter ranges. Most southern Palearctic and island populations of peregrine falcon are resident, and do not migrate. They are one of the most widespread terrestrial vertebrate species in the world. Peregrine falcons are found worldwide, except for rainforests and cold, dry Arctic regions. Their underparts are streaked, rather than barred like adults. Young birds tend to be darker and browner than the adults. They have white faces with a black stripe on each cheek and large, dark eyes. They have black bars on their backs and pale underbellies. Peregrine falcons have slate and blue-gray wings. These subspecies can be very different in size and color. There are 19 regional variants (subspecies) of peregrine falcon worldwide. Like most birds of prey, female peregrine falcons are slightly larger than males. They weigh nearly 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) on average. In North America, peregrines are roughly the same size as crows. Like all falcons, peregrine falcons have long, tapered wings and a slim, short tail.
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