A medium-large, stocky, sharp-winged falcon, broad shouldered and powerfully built, the peregrine is a superb flier but spends much of its time perched and inconspicuous. Its bold head pattern is an important identification clue.

Peregrine means wanderer: the name of the most dramatic of the falcons reflects its widespread dispersal outside the breeding season, when it is apt to turn up at a reservoir, lake, marsh, or flood to terrorize the local wildfowl for a few days before moving on.