Prairie Falcon - Ross Feldner

Like all Westerners, this light-colored falcon loves wide-open spaces where they can fly over deserts and grassland looking for prey. Although the Peregrine Falcon is well known as an expert aerial hunter, the Prairie Falcon is equally skilled and deadly.

Common mammalian prey for prairie falcons includes squirrels, ground squirrels, prairie dogs, chipmunks, gophers, and rabbits of various species. Reptiles are also sometimes taken. Bird prey commonly includes sparrows, starlings, grackles, doves, quail, meadow larks, pigeons, coots, teal, and mallards.

Prairie Falcons hunt by flying fast and low, at a height of only a few yards or so, hoping to find surprised prey as it comes over the terrain or around bushes. Its cruising speed is around 45 mph and it accelerates in the chase. A variation on this method is for the falcon to swoop down from a higher altitude and then level out near the ground, initially traveling at more than 100 mph at altitudes of a yard or two!

As is typical for falcons, the female does most of the incubating and brooding while the male brings most of the food.