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Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus)

Once on the edge of extinction and a federally protected species, the Peregrine Falcon has made a remarkable recovery, following near universal bans on the use of DDT in the 1970s and 1980s, the species recovered throughout its vast range, and some populations are larger now than before the introduction of synthetic pesticides. The Peregrine nests mainly in scrapes on cliff ledges, but there are local tree-nesting populations which use the old nests of other species, and city buildings, bridges, and other man-made structures are now favored nest sites in many parts of the world. Most of its prey is taken on the wing, following an incredibly rapid stoop of more than 120 mph, or by a swift aerial pursuit, but it also still-hunts from an exposed perches. Blessed with an eye sight that is almost as amazing as the speed it flies, not many have the ability to evade the grasp of this phenomenal bird once it has been targeted from afar.

Opposed to my normal paintings, this early study was accomplished on a highly textured gesso’d surface.