I photographed her at an avian vet's office just before she went into surgery for a gunshot wound. The falcon died during the procedure.

Now, a bit of natural history --

The Peregrine Falcon is considered endangered in the wild in many parts of the U.S. The peregrine preys mainly on birds, striking with its feet in mid air, but will also take reptiles and small mammals. Use of pesticides has been cited as the main reason for the peregrine's decline in population, however, in Washington State where I live, a nesting pair with babies was recently discovered on state-owned land near Issaquah. For  the last couple of years in downtown Seattle, a nesting pair has used a manmade area on the side of a high-rise office building.

Falcons in general are strong, fast fliers, with amazing aerial agility. The Peregrine Falcon is considered to be the world's fastest bird. In a dive, have been clocked at 180 mph (290km/h)!

 I wonder if the idiot that shot this bird would like to try that -- like off a cliff maybe!