World’s Fastest Bird Is Rescued By Coral World

Employees of Coral World Ocean Park have once again rescued an animal facing death, the latest being a male Peregrine Falcon that was seen crawling out of the woods by a resident in St. Thomas.

The Falcon was found very weak on or around February 5, Coral World said. The resident brought the bird to Coral World where staff Veterinary Technician, Erica Palmer, gave it a thorough exam. Using its new x-ray machine, Coral World staff were able to determine that the falcon had no internal injuries, the release said.

“His wing feathers had been cut. The wings themselves were not injured, he has no bone injuries or soft tissue damage, but without his flight feathers, he can’t fly. For a Peregrine, that’s obviously a problem as they are hunters of other birds. He was emaciated because he could not hunt for food,” Ms. Palmer saids. The Peregrine Falcon is the world’s fastest raptor or bird of prey and may reach speeds up to 200 miles per hour. 

After spending almost two months at Coral World, the Falcon will now continue its rehabilitation with Toni Lance of the St. Croix Avian Sanctuary. “Thanks to the generosity of the QE IV Ferry Service, we were able to transport this falcon free of charge, to St. Croix where representatives of the sanctuary picked him up at the dock,” Coral World said.

“The falcon will be in the company of one or possibly two female falcons who will teach him things like how to preen himself properly, how to eat properly and how to be a successful falcon,” Ms. Palmer said.

It will take the Falcon anywhere from nine months to a year to regrow its flight feathers. Once he is deemed releasable, it will be set free on St. Croix.