Peregrine falcons are approximately 15 to 20 inches in length and weigh about two pounds. The females tend to be slightly larger and as much as 50 percent heavier than the males. Mature falcons have a dark head and blue-gray wings, with horizontal black bars along their backs and white underside. Juveniles are more brown and have black vertical streaks rather than horizontal stripes. Peregrines have a wingspan of around 40 inches and narrow tails. Peregrine falcons prey primarily on other birds, including pigeons, doves, shorebirds and various waterfowl.
They may occasionally eat small mammals or lizards. They hunt from a high perch and swoop down to capture prey with their talons. They then kill the prey with their beak and bring it back to the perch, to be eaten or stored for later. Peregrine falcons have few predators but may occasionally be killed by larger raptors. Juveniles are also vulnerable to larger mammals, including bears and large cats.
Peregrine Falcons are the most common falcon that is found in Virginia. They are commonly found making their nests in the Virginia Mountains. The most common mountain range they are seen nesting in is in Shenandoah National Park. This has now become a popular destination for avid bird watchers, and I recommend this park if you want to see one of these falcons.
Peregrine Falcons, like most other falcons, are most active during their mating season. The mating season lasts from February to July, the most active month being march. This is your best time to go falcon watching. Prairie Falcon by Nathan Rupert — Attribution 2. Prairie Falcons, as the name suggests, are most commonly found in prairie lands.
These birds are covered in brown feathers and are medium in size. Breeding pairs of these falcons will visit various locations together before deciding on the best place to build their nests.
T hese birds will roost close to one another during the breeding season and often vocalise back and forth during the courting stage. The first recorded Prairie Falcon to be seen in Virginia was only recently in It was spotted to the north of Old Town Alexandria.
They have also recently been spotted in Shenandoah National Park, their population is slowly increasing in population in the state. These falcons will migrate further south in the states during the winter months and this is the time when there will be the highest concentration of these birds in Virginia.
However, this is not a large-scale migration and only lasts for November and December, these two months are your best time to go falcon watching. How to safely remove a birds nests? We are avid bird-watchers who recently retired, allowing us more time to travel the world. Fortunately, we have managed to visit numerous countries around Europe, Asia, and America. Watching and photographing birds has been a passion for many years and we are making the most of the extra time on our hands!
There are six different species of falcons that can be found in the state of Virginia. What Falcons can be seen in Virginia? Table of Contents. American Kestrel. Life Expectancy. American Kestrels are known for being the smallest falcon across North America.
Crested Caracara. Up to 10 years. Small birds. Up to 14 years. Mostly small birds. Peregrine Falcon. Mostly birds. Prairie Falcons. Peregrine Falcons can be found everywhere in Virginia, and are actually located on every continent except Antarctica. Because of their fondness of nesting on the sides of tall buildings, these falcons are common in cities where they can become quite the local celebrities!
There is little color differentiation amongst individual birds and sexes. Their chest is white to tan with thin dark lines. Immature birds are often much browner than adults. Like almost all species of falcons, females are larger than males. Oh sure, they can crank it up to 75 mph kph , and that is amazing for being on the ground. But when a Peregrine Falcon dives, it can reach speeds of up to mph kph!
And it starts its journey from as high as 3, feet, so it cruises at these high speeds for a considerable distance. At the high speeds that these falcons can travel, their lungs should inflate and burst. But because they have a bony bump in their nose, it disrupts the airflow just like the dome shape on the front of a jet engine.
Nature never ceases to amaze! Peregrine Falcons primarily eat other birds. In fact, at least different types of birds have been documented as their prey. They are not picky and take almost anything they can catch, including ducks, gulls, pigeons, and songbirds.
These raptors have been observed killing individuals as small as a hummingbird, and as large as a Sandhill Crane. Weight : oz. The American Kestrel is the smallest falcon in Virginia and is roughly the size of an American Robin. This name was given because they will take sparrows and other birds of that size right out of the air! One of their favorite strategies to catch prey is to hover in the breeze from a relatively low height, looking for insects, invertebrates, small rodents, and birds.
Their diverse diet is one reason they can occupy ecological niches from central Alaska down to the southernmost tip of South America. Females, on the other hand, have rusty colored backs and wings, but with brown barring.
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