Bird of the Week

This week’s Bird of the Week, compliments of the Weminuche Audubon Society and Audubon Rockies, is the prairie falcon. With long, pointed wings, falcons are designed for speed and lift and are able to change directions rapidly in flight. The peregrine falcon is often reported to be the fastest bird in the world, and the prairie falcon probably flies just as fast, although it does not dive from as high up as peregrines do. Prairie falcons are birds of the wide open, treeless spaces of the West. They thrive in shrubby deserts and grasslands, avoiding forested areas. During breeding season, they nest in open country up to 11,000 feet in elevation with bluffs and cliffs, where they raise young in a crevice or on a ledge protected by an overhang. Adults are colored sandy-brown on the back, have white cheeks and lines over the eyes, and a dark mustache stripe. When seen in flight, they show a dark triangle of feathers from the “armpit” to wrist areas. Perched birds appear large and broad-shouldered with a blocky, crew-cut appearance to the head. Exceptional eyesight is critical to the hunting success of these fast-moving predators. Studies have demonstrated that birds can process visual images more than twice as fast as humans can. This ability allows them to dodge obstacles and track prey while flying at high speeds. Prairie falcons hunt by surprise while watching from a perch and while soaring or cruising fairly low over the land. In summer, prairie falcons primarily hunt small mammals, especially ground squirrels. During incubation to halfway through the nestling period, males are solely responsible for bringing food for the female and young to the nest. During this season, excess prey is tucked away for later consumption. When rodents become less numerous in winter, prairie falcons switch to hunting more songbirds, migrating in response to food availability. Although shooting these birds is illegal, it is still a common cause of their mortality. As people move into once unoccupied desert lands, prairie falcons are experiencing habitat encroachment from agriculture, livestock grazing, energy development, off-road vehicles and military training. For information on events, visit www.weminucheaudubon.org and www.facebook.com/weminucheaudubon/.