Rare inland Siberian peregrine falcon photographed in Australia's desert marks historic sighting

An ecologist photographed a Siberian peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus calidus) at the Newhaven Wildlife Sanctuary near Alice Springs, marking the farthest inland documented sighting of this subspecies in Australia. The rare migrant’s appearance is linked to 2024's unusually high rainfall that created temporary wetlands and attracted prey and predators, highlighting how extreme weather can shift wildlife distributions in arid regions. Peregrine falcons are among the world’s fastest birds, and this sighting underscores the rarity of such inland records.