Resources
33 Glossary
Accipitriformes: (axe-SIP-ih-trih-forms) N. An order of birds including hawks, eagles, and Old World vultures.
Active Soaring Wings: (ACK-tihv SOHR-ing WINGS) N. Long and narrow wings so birds can soar for a long time. See Soar.
Aerodynamic: (AIR-oh-dye-NAHM-ick) Adj. Streamlined with less drag so it can go faster. See Drag.
Band: (BAND) V. To put specially colored, numbered and lettered metal bands around a chick’s legs to help wildlife experts and other birdwatchers identify the chicks as they grow and eventually leave the nest.
Biomagnification: (BYE-oh-MAHG-niff-ih-CAY-shun) N. When the amount of a toxic substance gets more and more concentrated in organisms at each step up the food chain.
Birds of Prey: N. See Raptors.
Branch: (BRANCH) V. (For chicks) To explore the environment around their nest, often climbing around on top of objects.
Brood Patch: (BROOD PATCH) N. An area on falcons’ bellies that loses feathers after egg-laying and develops additional blood vessels close to the surface so that the patch is nice and warm in direct contact with the eggs.
Cache: (CASH) N. A store of prey items saved for later. V. To store prey items for later.
Cade, Tom: N. A falconer, field biologist, Cornell professor, and the founder of The Peregrine Fund.
Cariamiformes: (carry-AM-ih-forms) N. An order of birds including seriemas.
Carson, Rachel: N. An American marine biologist, writer, and conservationist famous for Silent Spring, which began the environmentalist movement.
Cast Pellets: (CAST PELL-uhts) V. To regurgitate pellets to keep the digestive tract clean. See Pellet.
Cathartiformes: (cuh-THAR-tih-forms) N. An order of birds including New World vultures.
Cere: (SEER) N. Prominent yellow fleshy base of the falcon’s bill.
Conservation: (cahn-sihr-VAY-shun) N. The act of protecting nature so it will be around in the future.
Crop: (CRAHP) N. An organ that aids in breaking down and storing food for digestion.
Courtship Display: (CORT-ship diss-PLAY) N. A series of behaviors to attract a mate, including head bows (they bow their heads low to each other), aerial displays, scraping of the ground, and beaking (playfully nipping at each other).
DDT: N. Dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane (DYE-clohr-oh-DYE-fehn-uhl-TRY-clohr-oh-EH-thayn). A synthetic chemical discovered to be a successful insecticide, but very harmful to humans and the environment.
Diurnal: (dye-URN-uhl) Adj. Active during the day.
Down: (DOWN) N. Fine feathers underneath a bird’s exterior feathers that help keep it warm. Young chicks only have down until they grow their regular feathers.
Drag: (DRAHG) N. A force that slows down the movement of an object when it passes through a liquid or a gas.
Egg Tooth: (EGG TOOTH) N. A temporary sharp tooth-like projection on the beak of a chick used to break the shell during hatching.
Elliptical Wings: (ee-LIHP-tick-uhl WINGS) N. Wings that are rounded/oval-shaped. They are good for flying fast for short amounts of time, but can’t keep up that high speed for too long. Elliptical wings also allow for fast takeoffs and tight maneuvering.
Endangered: (ehn-DAYN-juhrd) Adj. (For a species) At risk for extinction.
Enfluffel: (en-FLUFF-uhl) V. To pull, push, roll, and rotate the eggs around underneath them so that they develop properly.
Environmentalism: (ehn-vye-rahn-MEN-tuhl-iz-uhm) N. Support for the environment and laws and other actions that protect it.
Extinct: (eck-STINKT) Adj. (For a species) Completely gone and can no longer be found.
Extirpate: (ECK-stuhr-payt) V. To wipe out.
Eyas/Eyass: (EYE-uhs) N. Peregrine falcon chick. Also called hatchling or nestling when it hatches.
Eyrie: (EYE-ree) N. A peregrine falcon’s nest site.
Falconiformes: (fal-CON-ih-forms) N. An order of birds including falcons.
Falconry: (FAHL-con-ree) N. The ancient practice of training birds of prey to hunt and fly for you.
Feak: (FEEK) V. To rub the beak against other surfaces to clean or wipe it and maintain beak shape.
Fledge: (FLEJ) V. (For chicks) To fly (for the first time).
Fledgling: (FLEJ-ling) N. Chick that has fledged.
Floater: (FLOH-tuhr) N. A falcon that doesn’t have its own territory or mate.
Gastrolith: (GAS-troh-lith) N. Small pieces of gravel/rocks/sand that birds eat and store in their gizzard. Stones held within the gizzard break down the food the birds eat before it gets to the stomach. Also called “gizzard stones.”
Gravity: (GRAH-vih-tee) N. A force that pulls things towards each other.
Hack: (HACK) V. To put unfledged falcon chicks in a special structure where they are fed and protected with minimal human contact until they fledge and fly away.
Hallux: (HAL-ucks) N. The toe facing backwards.
Hard Incubation: (HARD ink-yoo-BAY-shun) N. Constant incubation. See Incubation.
Hatchling: (HATCH-ling) N. See Eyas.
High-Speed Wings: (HYE-SPEED WINGS) Wings that are long, thin, and pointed (but not as long as active soaring wings). They allow a bird to fly very fast and keep up the high speed for a while.
Hovering Wings: (HUH-vuhr-ing WINGS) N. Wings that are very small and quick.
Incubation: (ink-yoo-BAY-shun) N. Sitting on the eggs to keep them warm so they can develop and hatch.
Insecticide: (ihn-SECK-tuh-syde) N. A substance used to kill insects.
Keel: (KEEL) N. An extension of the sternum (breastbone) that acts like an anchor for a bird’s wing muscles.
Lift: (LIHFT) N. An upward force where air moves faster over the top of a bird’s wing and slower under the bottom of the wing. This means that air pressure is lower over the top of the wing. Since air automatically goes to places with lower pressure (like when you deflate a balloon and the air comes out of it fast), the air moves from over the top of the wing to underneath it, which pushes the bird up.
Loaf: (LOHF) V. (For birds) To display relaxed behaviors not specifically related to feeding, breeding, or predator evasion.
Lower Mandible: (LOH-uhr MAN-dih-bull) N. Lower beak. In peregrine falcons, it is shorter, and the hook tip of the maxilla goes right over it.
Malar Stripes: (MAY-lar STRIPES) N. Dark-colored stripes down the faces of peregrine falcons that act like athletes’ eye black to reduce glare from the sun.
Mantle: (MANT-uhl) V. To spread wings over prey to protect it from rivals, including siblings.
Maxilla: (macks-ZILL-uh) N. Upper beak. In peregrine falcons, it is curved and hook-tipped.
Mid-Air Prey Exchange: (MID-AIR PRAY ECKS-change) N. Quick feat where one falcon flies underneath the other that is carrying prey, turns upside down, and grabs the prey from the carrier with its talons.
Migrate: (MY-grayt) V. To move seasonally from one location to another.
Molt: (MOHLT) V. To lose old feathers and grow new ones to replace them.
Nest: (NEST) V. To find a mate and territory and raise chicks.
Nestling: (NEST-ling) N. See Eyas.
Nictitating Membrane: (NICK-tih-tay-ting MEM-brane) N. A third eyelid that protects and moistens the eye. It is translucent (clear) so the falcon can still see when it’s closed.
Nocturnal: (knock-TURN-uhl) Adj. Active at night.
Pair Bonding: (PAIR BON-ding) N. A continuation of courtship display activities throughout nesting to strengthen the connection between the mates.
Passive Soaring Wings: (PASS-ihv SOHR-ing WINGS) N. Wings with long primary feathers that spread out so hot air can get through and help the birds fly higher.
Pellet: (PELL-uht) N. Collection of indigestible material gathered in the stomach of birds that occasionally need to be disposed of.
Peregrine Falcon: (PAIR-uh-grin FAL-cuhn) (Falco peregrinus) N. A bird of prey belonging to the Falconiform order with a gray back, hook-tipped beak, yellow feet and legs, and malar stripes or “sideburns” on its face.
Pip: (PIHP) N. The first hole in the egg made by the chick when it starts to hatch.
Preen: (PREEN) V. Cleaning arranging, and oiling their feathers to keep them in good condition.
Raptor: N. Birds that evolved from a common ancestor (a bird that lived on land and ate vertebrates, or animals with backbones), and many of that ancestor’s descendants continue to have a raptorial lifestyle (meaning they also eat vertebrates). Also referred to as birds of prey.
Scrape: (SCRAYP) N. A peregrine falcon’s nest.
Sexual Dimorphism: (SECK-shoo-uhl dye-MORE-fizz-um) N. A difference in size or physical appearance between males and females of a species.
Soar: (SOHR) V. To fly without flapping wings.
Stoop: (STOOP) N. A controlled dive done by falcons. V. To drop straight down in a controlled dive.
Strigiformes: (STRI-jih-forms) N. An order of birds including owls.
Subspecies: (SUHB-spee-sheez) N. A classification rank below species used to describe populations of a species that live in different areas and have different physical characteristics, but are still able to interbreed.
Talons: (TAL-uhns) N. Sharp curved claws.
Tarsus: (TAR-suhs) N. Part of a falcon’s leg between backwards “knee” and ankle.” (Pl. Tarsi)
Territory: (TAIR-uh-tore-ee) N. With regard to peregrine falcons, it is a large area around the nest site.
Thermoregulate: (THUHR-moh-REG-yoo-late) V. To control one’s own body temperature.
Tiercels: (TEER-suhls) N. Male peregrine falcons. From the old word for “third,” since they are approximately one-third smaller than females.
Tomial Teeth: (TOE-me-uhl TEETH) N. Sharp points that fit into corresponding notches on the lower mandible when the falcon closes its beak.
Unihemispheric Slow-Wave Sleep (USWS): (YOO-nee-HEM-uhs-FEER-ick SLOW-WAYV SLEEP) N. When a bird sleeps with half of their brain alert and half of it asleep, so actually sleeping with one eye open. This lets them get the rest they need while also staying alert in case a predator approaches.