Overview:  The name "peregrine" implies an explorer or a wanderer, and as one of the most widely distributed birds in the world, this falcon has certainly earned its name.  Found on every continent but Antarctica, the peregrine falcon is making a remarkable come-back after its populations plummeted from the 1950's to the 1970's as a result of the use of organochlorine pesticides like DDT.  The arctic subspecies is one of 3 subspecies of the peregrine falcon found in North America and is distinguished from its cousins, the American and the Peale's peregrine falcons, by being the palest in color and the smallest in size.  The flying speed of the peregrine falcon is legendary--speeds of over 200 mph have been recorded during some of their steepest dives.  The preferred hunting technique of this falcon is to pursue and capture other birds in mid-air, a feat truly spectacular to behold.  Arctic peregrines nest on the cliffs and bluffs along the rivers that empty into the Arctic Ocean.  The huge colonies of shorebirds that nest on the Arctic coastal plain of Alaska are essential to the survival of arctic peregrines and their chicks.  Arctic peregrines spend the winter months in South America, but some wintering falcons have been spotted as far north as California and Florida.  A major migration route for arctic peregrines heading south for the winter leads over the eastern Rocky Mountains and down through Texas.  However, many falcons follow migratory shorebirds populations down the Pacific and Atlantic coastlines, as well as along river valleys.  For more information on this sub-species, check out the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service species account of the arctic peregrine at http://refuges.fws.gov/nwrsfiles/wildlifemgmt/speciesaccounts/birds/arcticperegrinefalcon.html.