Falcon Photos

We hope you enjoy these Falcon Photos.

Falcons are the "fighter jets" of the sky. Falcons are characterized by long wings and tails, which have evolved for maximizing speed during powered flight and vertical dives for catching prey in open areas.

Click on thumbnails for larger Falcon photos and more specific information. Please remember the terms of use.

American Kestrel Male Black Merlin Peregrine Falcon
American Kestrel (Falco sparvarius) (male plumage) Black Merlin (Falco columbarius suckleyi) Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) (Juvenile plummage)
Prairie Falcon Prairie Falcon chicks Peregrine Falcon Chicks
Prairie Falcon Falco mexicanus) Prairie Falcon chicks (21-23 days old) Peregrine Falcon Chicks (20-22 days old)

How Fast Can a Peregrine Falcon Fly?

See how one trained Peregrine Falcon was clocked at 243 m.p.h. in a vertical dive.

Prairie Merlin Chick
Prairie Merlin Chick, 21-22 days old
(Falco columbarius richardsoni)
Click Photo for Larger View

This Prairie Merlin photo to the right is courtesy of Karen Riggin from North Dakota. She found this bird on the golf course by the 18th tee box on the 4th of July!

List of Falcon (Falco) Species included in photos:

American Kestrel (Falco sparvarius)

Merlin (Falco columbarius)

Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus)

Prairie Falcon (Falco mexicanus)

There are 6 species of Falco that breed in North America:

American Kestrel (Falco sparverius)

Aplomodo Falcon (Falco femoralis)

Merlin (Falco columbarius)

Gryfalcon Hawk (Falco rusticolus)

Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus)

Prairie Falcon (Falco mexicanus)

There are two species of Falcons that breed in Europe and Asia but are occasionally seen in North America:

Common Kestrel (European/Eurasian Kestrel)

(Falco tinnunculus) - Has been seen on both the East and West coast during Fall migration.

Hobby (European/Eurasian or Northern Hobby)

(Falco subbuteo) - Has been seen in Alaska.

My favorite books on Falcons:

The Rites of Autumn: A Falconer's Journey Across the American West

and A Rage for Falcons

Related Bird of Prey Pages:

Birds of Prey

Go to Raptor Migration Page

Bird Pictures Page

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