Those birds are so awesome. We get them up in Nunavut near my home community. Not only are they beautiful, but scary as hell too. As kids we would climb up small hills on top of which they nested. If eggs were in the nest, the parents would take turns swooping down on us and knicking our heads. They would literally touch our hair at amazing speeds. We knew they would never hit us (our skulls would cause more damage to them than they would do to us).

Amazing birds, and always fun to watch them hunt.

Also, not only do peregrine falcons experience the highest G-forces of any large animal - they are also the fastest animals on earth (when they go into the dives).

So beautiful and sleek...

http://gallery.photo.net/photo/5704604-lg.jpg

>> ^schmawy:
So beautiful and sleek...
http://gallery.photo.net/photo/5704604-lg.jpg


Yeah - it looks like a torpedo with wings. And I love how the legs tuck back for aerodynamics.

Check this out - http://videosift.com/video/Peregrine-falcon-recorded-going-183-and-242-MPH-in-dives