Falcons may look like little hawks, but they are in a category of their own. There are about 40 species worldwide that belong to the genus Falco. Known for their keen eyesight, hunting prowess, and fast speeds, they make up a small portion of the “birds of prey” category. In this article, we are going to look at the 7 types of falcons you can find in the United States.
Types of Falcons in the United States
There are 7 species of falcon that currently make the U.S. their home, at least for part of the year. This is excluding the rare vagrants that may occasionally be spotted. Let’s learn a little about each one.
If you want to see which falcons can be found where you live, click here to find information about the falcons found in each U.S. state.
1. American Kestrel
- Scientific name: Falco sparverius
- Length: 8.7-12.2 in
- Weight: 2.8-5.8 oz
- Wingspan: 20.1-24.0 in
The American Kestrel is North America’s smallest falcon, larger than a robin, but slightly smaller than a crow. But don’t let their small stature fool you. Kestrels are fierce predators that can take down other birds as big or bigger than they are, such as Northern Flickers.
They primarily feed on insects and invertebrates like grasshoppers, beetles, cicadas, dragonflies, moths and spiders. They also eat mice and other small rodents, bats, lizards, frogs and songbirds.
These tiny falcons have small heads and unique coloring of rusty browns and bluish grays. Both sexes have black barring on their back, and two black stripes on the face. Females are mostly rusty colored, while males have bluish-gray on their head and wings.
Look for them in the summer when they are most active. They often perch on fence posts and telephone wires, especially around farmland. Kestrels can position their body into the wind and hover in place, scanning the ground below.
The American Kestrel can be found throughout most of the U.S. year-round. In southern Texas and Florida, they may tend to only be winter visitors. Kestrels breed in the north, throughout much of Canada, Alaska, and the states along the northern U.S. border.
2. Merlin
- Scientific name: Falco columbarius
- Length: 9.4-11.8 in
- Weight: 5.6-8.5 oz
- Wingspan: 20.9-26.8 in
Merlins spend the summer breeding months in Canada, Alaska and along the northern U.S. border. Then they migrate through most of the central and eastern parts of the U.S., and is the best time for people in most states to spot them. They settle for the winter in the western U.S., along the U.S. Gulf coast, Mexico, Central America and parts of northern South America.
Their primary food source is other birds, such as house sparrows, dickcissels, sandpipers and other shorebirds. Merlins are experts at the high speed attack, zooming across the ground horizontally or even chasing their prey from below, forcing them higher and higher until they get tired.