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Synopsis
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The peregrine falcon is the world's fastest animal, capable of diving at nearly 200 miles per hour—nearly three times the speed of a sprinting cheetah. Though the species nearly went extinct in the 1970s due to the insecticide DDT, the species is now one of the most widespread predators on Earth, finding home on every continent except Antarctica—from coastal cliffs and arctic tundra to the skyscrapers of urban Chicago. What enables this bird to thrive in such varied environments, and how does it reach such breakneck speeds? To find out, NOVA takes viewers to a nesting box high up in the skyline of urban Chicago where three chicks have just broken out of their shells. Watch them over several months as they take their first stumbling flight and eventually perfect their flying and hunting skills. And join expert falconer Lloyd Buck as he trains a young falcon and puts its hunting skills to the ultimate test. |
