Prairie Falcons of the Arid Western States

I took advantage of sun and blue skies yesterday (Saturday) morning and went in search of raptors around some rural areas of Utah County. I'm not up to date on hunting seasons so I didn't realize there would be hunters with their dogs scouring nearby fields in search of pheasants. The abundance of hunters and dogs had raptors seeking better hunting fields of their own. After coming across the same scene in several nearby fields I decided to go to a place where I was fairly certain there would be no hunters scaring off the raptors. I drove to an agricultural area owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Elberta. It has been a very reliable place for seeing eagles, hawks, and falcons during winter months. I quickly found a Prairie Falcon perched on a power pole as I drove up to the farm. I spent a fair amount of time observing the falcon. An intermediate morph (rufous morph) Red-tailed Hawk flew down from a more distant pole and caused the falcon to move to a new perch several poles away. I watched the hawk eventually begin to soar and the falcon return to its former perch. I wish I knew what those birds were thinking before, during, and after their interaction.

Behavior:

Prairie Falcons nest remotely in cliff edges and rocky outcroppings. They are easier to find after nesting season when they spread out across the western states of the US. They do not migrate, but they do expand their territories during winter months. They are generally solitary and prefer open grasslands, sage deserts, and agricultural areas where they can hunt and eat ground squirrels and other small mammals. They will also eat medium sized birds of open lands. Prairie Falcons hunt from a perch or on the wing while flying low to the ground. One of my favorite sights is to see a Prairie Falcon flying about three feet above ground as they follow the lay of the land in search of prey. Sometimes they glide and then increase their speed with rapid shallow wing beats when they engage in the pursuit of prey.

Identification:

Prairie Falcons are a sandy brown color on their top side and white with sandy brown spots on the flanks and chest area on the bottom side. One of the easiest ways to recognize a Prairie Falcon in flight is by seeing their dark arm pits and wing linings. From a perch they can be recognized by the pattern of their head--a thin white line above the eye, a dark malar (mustache) mark running down the front of their face, a patch of white below their eyes, and a dark ear patch. Here are some images of yesterday's falcon showing the facial pattern common to Prairie Falcons. The bright yellow skin colors of the legs, cere (skin around the nasal passages), and around the eye is indicative of an adult bird. Juveniles sometimes show a bluish or more pale yellow skin color. I'll provide examples of young falcons toward the end of the images.

Adult Prairie Falcon in Elberta, UT

Adult Prairie Falcon in Elberta, UT

The dark armpits and wing linings are displayed as this falcon begins to take flight from one perch to another.

Adult Prairie Falcon Taking Flight in Elberta, UT

Adult Prairie Falcon Taking Flight in Elberta, UT

Adult Prairie Falcon in Elberta, UT

The tail of an Adult Prairie Falcon appears lighter than the rest of the top side. You can see the tail below as being lighter than the top side of the left wing.

Adult Prairie Falcon in Elberta, UT

Exposure can alter or hide some of the colors associated with birds. The exposure of the image below gives a much more pale appearance overall. A careful look still reveals a slightly lighter tail color, almost a pink hue. It's always helpful to have more than one image when identifying species, age, sex, etc. for birds.

Adult Prairie Falcon in Elberta, UT

Below are a few of my favorite Prairie Falcon images from previous encounters over the past few years. This first one was seen on January 1, 2011. You can tell by the way it is hunkered down and fluffed out that it was a very cold morning. The skin around the eyes and the cere is a faint yellow color. That would indicate that this is a young bird.

Young Prairie Falcon Braving Sub-freezing Temperatures in Vineyard, UT

I enjoyed watching this next young falcon come and go from the same pole as it was hunting for food. It would perch on the pole, dive and fly low to the ground for a while, turn around, and then land back on the same pole. I think it shows fairly well how younger Prairie Falcons tend to look a little more streaked rather than spotted on the belly. The spots appear closer together and more in a line.

Young Prairie Falcon Preparing to Land in Lehi, UT

Young Prairie Falcon in Flight in Lehi, UT

I came across a Prairie Falcon once in Springville, Utah that was dive bombing a large flock of mixed blackbirds. The birds were flocking as deeply as they could inside a Russian Olive tree. They would fly from that tree after each pass by the falcon. The bird was moving so quickly as it approached the tree I couldn't get focused on it. However, you can see in this first image how hundreds of blackbirds were seeking safety in the tree as the falcon passed.

Prairie Falcon Dive Bombing a Large Flock of Blackbirds in Springville, UT

 This image show an in-focus falcon with Red-winged Blackbirds flying for their lives in the background.

Prairie Falcon Dive Bombing a Large Flock of Red-winged Blackbirds in Springville, UT

This falcon was perching on a pole above a security camera at the Utah Flight Park State Recreation Area near Lehi, Utah.

Prairie Falcon at Utah Flight Park State Recreation Area in Lehi, UT

Prairie Falcon at Utah Flight Park State Recreation Area in Lehi, UT

Prairie Falcon at Utah Flight Park State Recreation Area in Lehi, UT

Prairie Falcon at Utah Flight Park State Recreation Area in Lehi, UT

Prairie Falcon at Utah Flight Park State Recreation Area in Lehi, UT

Seeing and photographing just one Prairie Falcon yesterday was a treat. Red-tailed and Ferruginous Hawks along the way added to the fun. I think I'll devote a few future posts to each of Utah's amazing raptors.