Watch a falcon and an alligator hunt — from their point of view

By mounting cameras on two formidable predators, scientists get rare glimpses into how they capture their prey

Animal Cams
(Image credit: (Photos courtesy of Kane and Zamani / Nifong, et al.))

When a peregrine falcon goes into its hunting stoop — the high-speed dive that brings it in for the kill — it can reach speeds of up to 242 miles per hour. How does a flock of birds react when the fastest thing in the animal kingdom is barreling down on them?

Suzanne Amador Kane, a physicist at Haverford College who studies the motion of flocks, swarms, and other groups of animals, wanted to find out. To help analyze and interpret the prey's reactions, she wanted to read up on the behavior of their predators, but found that there wasn't much research on falcons' hunting practices.

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