Description : A female Peregrine Falcon, Falco peregrinus, with its prey. Africa. Also known as Peregrine these are large birds of prey found nearly everywhere on earth, except extreme Polar Regions, very high mountains, and most tropical rainforests. They can reach speeds over 322 km/h (200 mph) in a dive, making them the fastest animal in the world. Trained Falcons are used in ?Falconry? or ?Hawking?, a sport in which birds of prey are used to hunt or catch game.