Falco peregrinus japonensis Gmelin
Peregrine Falcon
Falco japonensis Gmelin, Syst. Nat., 1, pt. 1, 1788, p. 257. (Type locality, Off the coast of Japan.)
Falco peregrinus Hartlaub and Finsch, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1872, pp. 89, 90 (Mackenzie); Gräffe, Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 2, 1873, p. 122 (Yap); Finsch, Journ. Mus. Godeffroy, 8, 1875, pp. 4, 8 (Palau); Schmeltz and Krause, Ethnogr. Abth. Mus. Godeffroy, 1881, p. 391 (Yap); Wiglesworth, Abhandl. und Ber. Zool. Mus. Dresden, no. 6, 1890-1891 (1891), p. 1 (Yap, Pelew); Hand-list Japanese Birds, rev. 1932, p. 182 (Yap, Palau); Hand-list Japanese Birds, 3d ed., 1942, p. 202 (Yap, Palau); Mayr, Birds Southwest Pacific, 1945, p. 302 (Yap, Palau); Baker, Smithson. Misc. Coll., vol. 107, no. 15, 1948, p. 46 (Guam).
?Falco peregrinus calidus Kuroda, in Momiyama, Birds Micronesia, 1922, p. 40 (Yap, Pelew).
Geographic range.—Breeds in northern Asia. Winters to southern Asia, Malaysia and Melanesia. In Micronesia: Mariana Islands—Guam; Palau Islands—exact locality unknown; Caroline Islands—Yap.
Remarks.—The Peregrine Falcon may be classed as a casual winter visitor to Micronesia. It has been recorded by Hartlaub and Finsch at Yap and Palau. A specimen from Yap was taken by Kubary in November, 1870. On November 2, 1945, at Guam as previously recorded (Baker, 1948:46) Irvin O. Buss saw a falcon alight on the superstructure of his ship. He watched it catch and eat a Common Noddy (Anous stolidus). As the ship approached the island, the bird flew to the rugged cliffs near Facpi Point. Strophlet (1946:535) saw a large falcon, "presumed to be a Duck Hawk," at Guam on November 16, 1945. Possibly these two observers saw the same bird. In July, 1945, Flavin observed a Peregrine Falcon at Guam. F. p. fruitii Momiyama, which is known from the Volcano Islands, may occur in Micronesia.