With Nebraska home to spacious plains and plenty of skyline, is it any wonder why birds of prey are so comfortable there? There are 5 species of falcons in Nebraska I’ll help you keep an eye out for.
Learning how to spot falcons starts with understanding their most common behaviors, particularly their hunting preferences and flying styles. Falcons are fond of wide, open spaces because they have plenty of room to scout for danger or spot prey.
Below I’ll share common and not-so-common species in Nebraska. You’ll learn vital tips on their appearance, birdcall, and interesting facts such as their flight patterns.
Prairie Falcon
- Species Name: Falco mexicanus
- Weight: 500 grams to 970 grams
- Length: 38 cm to 45 cm
- Wingspan: 102 to 107 cm
What better way to start off this list than with a bird that practically embodies the Nebraskan landscape? The prairie falcon is one of the less popular falcons, but I think it deserves just as much love as its more stylish cousins.
Appearance
The prairie falcon has more subtle coloration than the bolder American Kestrel or the gyrfalcon. They have dusty gray-brown feathers with a bright stomach – they have heavy barring that extends down to their legs.
Alongside their bold yellow legs and beak, they have thick eye stripes that make them look a little like a cheetah.
Range
This bird is fairly common throughout most of western Nebraska. It shows up throughout the rest of the state in winter.
Anywhere flat and spacious is the prairie falcon’s go-to hunting grounds. They’re very fond of steppes, deserts, fields, grasslands, and rolling pastures.
Diet
The prairie falcon is adaptable, eating small mammals or birds depending on whatever is most abundant. Interestingly enough, they sometimes store food for later like a squirrel.
Breeding
Falcons are the thrift shoppers of the birding world. Instead of building their own nests, they prefer to reuse the nests or hollows of other birds such as ravens or woodpeckers.
Prairie falcons have a whirlwind ritual, flying and swooping in the air during mating season. They usually lay a clutch of only a few eggs, with the male finding food and the female staying behind to incubate them.
Birdcall
The prairie falcon always sounds like they’re a little humored, letting out ka-ka-ka or ki-ki-ki vocalizations.
Fun Fact
Prairie falcons are very interesting birds, known to play with dried manure balls or take long dust baths.
American Kestrel
- Species Name: Falco sparverius
- Weight: 80 grams to 165 grams
- Length: 22 cm to 31 cm
- Wingspan: 51 to 61 cm
A tiny falcon with brilliant feathers, the American Kestrel is a personal favorite of mine. Not only does it have some of the most beautiful plumage, but it’s also a compelling bird for its ferocity and swiftness.
Appearance
The American Kestrel isn’t easy to mix up with other birds. The males have vibrant cinnamon-brown plumage with patches of blue-gray along their wings and faces.
Their black flecks, black face stripes, and tiny yellow beaks complete the package and make them look like an Impressionist painting.
Female American Kestrels look quite similar, but are larger and have a little more brown along the body. They also tend to have a little more orange along their throat.
Range
This falcon is like birding on easy mode – they show up throughout most of the Nebraska state year-round. They’re a little rarer in the western portion and usually only appear in the summer.
These birds vastly prefer spacious environments such as grasslands, farmlands, and pastures, though they sometimes chill by roadsides. A common sight in Nebraska is seeing one of these dashing birds relaxing on a fence pole.
Diet
With the American Kestrels as small as some songbirds, is it any wonder they eat very small food? They frequently chase after beetles, grasshoppers, and dragonflies, though they’ll eat the occasional mouse or lizard.
Breeding
American Kestrels, just like any other falcon, don’t like to build their nests. Many birders enjoy building nest boxes for them to roost in (which I highly recommend you do at least once!)
These birds will bond with one another with elaborate courtship displays and offering each other food. They’ll lay four to five eggs on average, with their children sometimes returning to the place of their birth.
Birdcall
Their small size is no match for their booming voice. American Kestrels are shrill and bold, letting out kee-kee-kee or kill-ee-kill-ee patterns.
Fun Fact
These birds are even smaller than you realize! Did you know the American kestrel can weigh as little as thirty-four pennies?
Peregrine Falcon
- Species Name: Falco peregrinus
- Weight: 330 grams to 1,500 grams
- Length: 34 cm to 58 cm
- Wingspan: 29 cm to 47 cm
You’ll have to time your birding trip carefully if you want to spot this majestic bird! Peregrine falcons are like the pro wrestlers of the birding world: they make quite an entrance and are impossible to forget.
Appearance
The peregrine falcon is a dashing bird with dark gray-brown feathers, a bright chest, and heavy barring along their legs. They have distinctive yellow-rimmed eyes with light yellow legs.
Female peregrine falcons look similar to the males but are nearly twice as large. They also have a bulkier physique.
Range
Peregrine falcons usually pass through Nebraska during migration, so don’t expect to see them often. These birds are quite adaptable and will navigate along coastlines, deep valleys, and sometimes urban areas.
Diet
Peregrine falcons will eat just about any bird they can get their talons on. They’ll usually chase after other birds such as ducks or songbirds, but sometimes pursue larger prey like herons.
Once in a while, a peregrine falcon will switch to bats or small reptiles like lizards.
Breeding
If you ever get to witness peregrine falcons in the middle of a courtship flight, you’re one lucky birder. These birds will dazzle each other with daring dives and swoops as they form their bond.
Peregrine falcons lay between three to four eggs, with the male and female switching between hunting and incubation duties.
Birdcall
The peregrine falcon isn’t as chatty as other birds, but it will let out hoarse kak-kak or kek-kek vocalizations.
Fun Fact
Falcons generally don’t like to build their own nests. Peregrine falcons will sometimes create what’s called a ‘scrape’ on the edge of a cliff: scraping at the ground to make a dip to hold their eggs.
Merlin
- Species Name: Falco columbarius
- Weight: 125 grams to 300 grams
- Length: 24 cm to 33 cm
- Wingspan: 58 cm to 66 cm
Is it any wonder why this bird has such an old reputation? Its dignified appearance and incredible speed have made it popular with birders, writers, and historians alike.
Appearance
This delicate falcon is on the smaller side, boasting a sleek body with very large eyes and a tear-drop-shaped body. They come in multiple morphs that I recommend you familiarize yourself with – you don’t want to overlook one of these birds!
- Black Merlin – this morph is a deep gray-blue with a white stomach coated in streaks
- Prairie Merlin – this morph is brown with a bright stomach spotted with heavy flecks
- Pacific Northwest Merlin – lastly, this morph is dark blue (almost black) with a white stomach
Range
You’ll likely see the merlin in most of Nebraska during the winter, while eastern portions of the state only see these birds during migration. Merlins have such a diverse range of environments, that it’s a little hard to narrow it down.
They’ll inhabit everywhere from forests to grasslands to coastlines. In a way, this makes them easier to spot!
Diet
Similar to the American Kestrel, the merlin eats a diverse diet to accommodate its broad habitat and smaller size. They’ll eat a mixture of lizards, insects, small rodents, and small bird species.
Breeding
Merlins are very clever about where they choose their nests. They make sure to choose a spot that lets them survey the area around them, so they avoid nests that are densely covered in shrubs or tree cover.
They lay between four to five eggs, their colors often being a beautiful rusty-brown color similar to a penny.
Birdcall
These birds often sound like they’re laughing, letting out a vibrant klee-klee-klee.
Fun Fact
Merlins have a very interesting hunting style called ‘tail-chasing’ where they swoop down in short bursts after running prey.
Gyrfalcon
- Species Name: Falco rusticolus
- Weight: 1,350 to 2,100 grams
- Length: 48 to 65 cm
- Wingspan: 110 to 160 cm
Last but not least, we have the dashing gyrfalcon in all their massive glory. This falcon is extremely rare in Nebraska, but I recommend keeping a sharp eye out for them during the colder months.
Appearance
The gyrfalcon is instantly recognizable with its massive size, large wingspan, and fanned tail. They have heavy barring on their wings that remind me a little of a snowy owl.
Range
The gyrfalcon has been spotted only rarely in Nebraska, often during the winter months when they wander outside of their usual northern range. They usually prefer arctic conditions and spacious, shrubby fields.
Diet
This massive bird prefers larger prey. While they’ll occasionally eat smaller rodents, they frequently pursue medium-sized animals such as hares, foxes, and various species of seabirds.
Breeding
Gyrfalcons take breeding very seriously, often surveying multiple cliff edges before choosing one. The male and the female will sometimes practice caching – storing food to eat later or feed to their chicks.
Birdcall
These birds let out a rough kak-kak-kak, similar to a peregrine falcon.
Fun Fact
While gyrfalcons like to inhabit cliff edges, they’ll still sometimes take roost in a tree.
Don’t Overlook Nebraska as a Birding Opportunity
Nebraska is one of the more underrated birding locations, no doubt due to its flatter landscape and reputation as more of a farming state. I highly recommend giving this state a try if you’re passing through the area and want to test your birding skills.
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