Falcons and other birds of prey have long captured the imagination of humans—especially in Big Sur, which has been designated an “Important Bird Area” by the National Audubon Society.

And Ventana’s Falconry Experience, let by Master Falconer Antonio Balestreri, allows you to get up close and personal with these fascinating creatures.

There’s truly no substitute for seeing a falcon for yourself, but you can still learn plenty about them without even going outside. Just be warned: After reading these four fun facts about falcons from the Smithsonian and other experts, you might find yourself a bit obsessed! (We sure did.)

• Falcons can fly as fast as an Indianapolis 500 race car. The top diving speed of the peregrine falcon has been clocked at over 240 miles per hour—actually, that’s even faster than Indy 500 cars!
• They can see you before you see them. Way before. The eyesight of falcons is estimated to be between four and eight times stronger than ours. So when you’re out bird-watching, just know that they might be watching you first.
• Falconry has its origins in hunting. For thousands of years, falcons have been trained by humans to hunt small animals and even other birds. But don’t worry—when one swoops toward you with our Master Falconer supervising, they aren’t hunting. They’re just looking to land on your outstretched glove.
• Falcons have one mate—forever. But they don’t hang out together all that much, because falcons generally only pair up to mate. Otherwise, they’re out on their own.

Want to learn more? Check out the Audubon website at www.audubon.org. Or, better yet, book your Ventana Falconry Experience today at www.ventanabigsur.com!