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Above: Three views of our Prairie Falcons at the Centre. An adult male, an adult female, and an immature female. (Picture quality is low, because the photos were taken through a remote "peep" hole for observation.)
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| • Distinguishing characteristics: In the field the Prairie Falcon appears quite a bit larger than either the Merlin or Kestrel. Without the characteristic Blue coloration of the dorsal plumage of most other male falcons, the Prairie Falcon is uniformly brown on the mantle or back and wings in both sexes. The malar stripe is present in this species, however unlike the Peregrine Falcon’s it is much narrower and slants backwards. The breast is distinctly vertically streaked in both the adult and particularly the immature plumage. The head has a "blocky" or crew cut appearance with very large eyes. In the field the Prairie Falcon can be recognized by it’s large and distinct falcon profile as well as generally drab coloration. |
| • Habitat and natural range: The Prairie Falcon is found only in the Badlands of the Prairie Provinces of North America, and then only where it's traditional nesting cliffs exist. This species has a strong tendency to remain for the winter at the same latitude as it breeds at and is known for being a very cold - hardy species that is easily able to withstand the harsh Prairie winters . A highly spirited and even reckless species, the Prairie Falcon is unique in that it takes as much quarry on the ground as in the air. |
| • Natural diet: The Prairie Falcon is known to feed on a wide variety of prey, particularly on ground quarry, (a behavior quite unusual among falcons) such as ground squirrels, prairie dogs, lizards, and birds (particularly small ground dwelling species). Immature Prairie Falcons are known to feed upon large quantities of insects such as Grasshoppers. |
| • Reproduction: The Prairie Falcon nests almost exclusively on rock ledges on cliffs in river gorges and coulees, though this species occasionally nests in timbered mountains. Old stick nests of ravens or others raptors will occasionally be used. Prairie Falcons have a strong preference for sites that are in some way protected from the midday sun. Most cliff nesting sites are situated less than 15 meters from the cliff base, although cliff nests have been found as high as 300 meters or even higher.
Individuals have a tendency to return to their breeding territories in early January in the southern part of their range, but usually not until April in Canada. Individuals of either gender may arrive first, with vocal flight displays, (similar to those of the Peregrine Falcon) occurring for approximately two weeks before egg production begins.
Copulation is of frequent occurrence until egg production ceases. From the period of egg production until the young no longer require intensive brooding, the female does no hunting and is kept supplied with food entirely by the male. Egg laying commences in the south, (Mexico) as early as mid March, but not usually until the end of April on the Canadian Prairies.
The average clutch size of this species is usually between 5 and 6 eggs, with an average measurement of 52.3 x 40.8 millimeters (Brown and Amadon). Incubation of the eggs lasts slightly more than 30 days and is shared by the male to a limited degree, such as when the female leaves the nest to feed. After hatching the young are brooded closely for about the first two weeks. The young fledge at approximately 40 days of age. Post fledging mortality is high, with 80 percent of a given years young failing to survive their first winter. |
| • Notes on Captive propagation (at the Centre): (Under Construction) |
| • Circumstances affecting Conservation: The Prairie Falcon was a bountied species during most of the 1920’s and 1930’s throughout most of the states and one province where it is native. During this time Prairie Falcon populations were decimated by shooting, pole trapping, and even aerie destruction!
At about the same time the Prairie Falcon lost major areas of it’s habitat to urban development, most of the western American and Canadian major cities such as Boise, Boulder, Calgary, Colorado springs, Denver, Olden, Salt Lake City, Spokane, Phoenix, Regina, Tucson, Las Vegas, Reno, Helena, have all obliterated prime breeding habitat of this species.
Today , the Prairie Falcon is listed by CITES (the convention on the international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora) as Appendix II or threatened. Although it’s populations are at present stable, they are much reduced from what they once were. The Prairie Falcon is our country's only desert falcon and as such is found no where else on earth. The Prairie Falcon has been a neglected and overlooked bird in favor of the Peregrine Falcon, which unlike the Prairie Falcon has subspecies found round the world. This is one important reason we are captive propagating the Prairie Falcon here at the Centre.
In fact the Prairie Falcon was the first large North American falcon species to be bred successfully in captivity in 1966 by Henry Kendall of St. Louis, Missouri . Much of the information gained with the captive propagation of this species has since been applied to the captive propagation of other falcon species. |
| If you feel, as we do that captive propagation functions as an insurance policy against extinction, and want to help, click the button on our contents page; "How you can Help", or click its text here in quotations. |
