Prairie falcons are larger than a merlin, but slightly smaller than a peregrine falcon. Their brown colors do make them somewhat camouflaged and difficult to spot sometimes. Look for them soaring overhead with a pair of binoculars, or even perched along fence posts or on cliffs. Prairie falcons, like peregrines, are one of the most popular birds for falconry and hunting. They are found throughout much of the western half of the United States. Prairie Falcons prefer wide open spaces like grasslands and fields where they soar high overhead looking for their next meal which is usually small mammals or other birds. Prairie falcon image: BLMIdaho | Flickr | CC 2.0 They’re somewhat unique in that they often prefer to perch on the ground, so don’t just scan the skies for them.ĥ. They like wide open habitat with high bird populations for them to prey on. They’re not warm-weather birds by any means.ĭuring the winter, you’ll find them in the river valleys, grasslands, and farmlands across their range. Still, like most birds, they prefer to avoid the harsh winters there. They like cold, northern habitats and breed in the open tundra above the Arctic Circle. Gyrfalcons are among the largest types of falcons in North America, often reaching sizes greater than most hawks. In the wild they prefer to perch and nest on high cliff faces, however tall buildings are also a ideal habitat since cities are full of the peregrine’s favorite meal… pigeons. Like kestrels, peregrine falcons have adapted remarkably well to urban environments. Peregrine falcons can be found on every continent except Antarctica, and they’re migratory birds in most places. You may also like: Falcons in New Jersey (3 Species With Pictures) The impact alone is usually enough to kill their prey. It’s during this dive that they achieve their top speed of over 200 miles per hour. When hunting, the peregrine spots its prey from high in the air and dives to attack. In fact, it’s not just the fastest bird- it’s the fastest animal of any kind in the world. Quite possibly the most famous of all types of falcons, the peregrine has earned its fame by being the fasted bird in the world. Peregrine falcon image: Mosharaf hossain ce | Wikimedia Commons | CC BY-SA 4.0 When these birds escape from the larger, slower hawks, the merlin often captures them for itself.ģ. They’re known to shadow larger birds of prey they wait for species like the sharp-shinned hawk to scare birds into the open. Birds are a common prey, and the merlin’s remarkable speed and agility enable them to capture other birds mid-flight. When hunting, they fly fast and low, often just 3 feet or less above the ground. Boreal (taiga) merlins of northern forests, which have intermediate plumage.Prairie merlins of northern prairies and aspen parkland with pale plumage.Black merlins of the Pacific Northwest with dark plumage.There are 9 different subspecies, with 3 of those being found in found in North America. Merlins live all over the northern hemisphere, with populations in North America, Europe, and Asia. Kestrels can live in a wide variety of environments, including urban settings, which means they’re frequently sighted by people in large cities. Their small size means they hunt mostly small creatures like grasshoppers, lizards, mice, and sometimes small birds. I mentioned that American Kestrels are the smallest falcons, but they’re also actually the smallest birds of prey in North America. Their spots and vibrant colors really set them apart from the other falcons on this list. and much of South America year-round, with migratory populations in Canada and Central America. Kestrels are the smallest type of falcons in North America. The kestrel is one of the most common predatory birds in North America. The 8 species of falcons in North America are the American kestrel, merlin, peregrine falcon, prairie falcon, gyrfalcon, aplomado falcon, crested caracara, and the collared forest falcon. Let’s have a look! 8 types of falcons in North America We’ll look at some pictures and learn some fun facts about each one. This article however will focus on 8 types of falcons in North America specifically. Falcons live all over the world, and there are as many as 35 species of true falcons in the genus falco of the family Falconidae (which includes hawks and other birds of prey), according to. They’re speed and ferocity have made them popular birds, both with bird-watchers and falconers- people who train birds-of-prey professionally. Falcons are small, fast birds of prey with long, pointed wings.
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