The regal Peregrine Falcon has earned a fearsome reputation as one of the natural world's most ruthless killers.

The raptor, which sits at the top of the food chain, is the fastest bird in the sky when it drops (or 'stoops') to catch its unfortunate prey... it's been recorded at speeds of up to 200mph (320kph).

Peregrine experts Steve Watson and Richard Sale will reveal the secrets of this majestic but deadly bird of prey at a talk hosted by Stroud Valleys Project at Stroud Brewery this month.

Richard is a former astrophysicist and the first author to win the Wildlife Society's book award prize three times, while Steve is a trustee of Gloucestershire Raptor Monitoring Group and Raptor Aid who has conducted a 40-year study of Peregrines at Symonds Yat.

They've channelled their passion for the Peregrine into a hefty new book, The Peregrine Falcon, which goes into painstaking detail about the life and predatory habits of the bird.

The talk starts at 2pm on Saturday 21 January; tickets are £7.50 for adults and £4 for children. You can book your place at stroudvalleysproject.org/events