Hunting in the dark by a peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus)

A peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) was observed preying on a mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) in Hokkaido, northern Japan, before dawn. The observation was made on 13 January 2013 about 40 minutes before sunrise, in the dark. Although there were sparse street lamps and car traffic nearby the observation point, it is not as evenly and continuously well-lit as urban areas. This suggests the potential of peregrine falcon to forage successfully in non-urban habitat under low light conditions.