Prairie Falcon

The Prairie Falcon is a medium-large falcon adapted to the arid grasslands and canyon country of the western United States. It is sandy brown above and pale, lightly marked below, giving it a washed-out appearance compared to the darker, more boldly marked Peregrine Falcon. Its facial moustache mark is present but narrower and less bold than the Peregrine's.

The most reliable field mark is visible in flight: dark blackish patches in the "wingpits" (axillaries and underwing coverts) that contrast against otherwise pale underwings, a pattern unique among North American falcons.

Key Field Marks

• Sandy brown upperparts and pale, lightly spotted underparts
• Dark blackish patches at the base of the underwing (axillaries), visible in flight
• Narrower, less bold facial moustache mark than a Peregrine Falcon
• Fast, powerful flight over open, arid terrain

Similar Species

• Peregrine Falcon: darker slate-gray above with a bolder black moustache and finely barred underparts, lacking the dark wingpit patches.
• Gyrfalcon: larger and bulkier, typically found in far northern regions rather than arid western grasslands.

Range

Prairie Falcons are found throughout the arid interior of western North America, from southern Canada through the western United States into northern Mexico.

Habitat

They favor open grasslands, sagebrush steppe, desert, and canyon country with cliffs for nesting, often near colonies of ground squirrels or other burrowing rodents that make up a large part of their diet.

Hunting

Prairie Falcons hunt over open ground, often flying low and fast to surprise ground squirrels and other rodents, or pursuing birds in flight with rapid, powerful wingbeats.

Voice

The call is a harsh, repeated "kree-kree-kree," similar in structure to other falcons but often described as slightly more nasal.

Nesting

No nest is built; eggs are laid in a scrape on a protected cliff ledge, often on canyon walls overlooking open hunting grounds. Clutches typically contain three to five eggs.