the prairie falcon is a medium-sized falcon found distributed across western north america. frequently confused with the peregrine falcon, they are essentially an arid-climate divergence from the same early lineage shared with the peregrine falcon. while they have a similar wingspan, they are lighter overall than the peregrine falcon and tend to have a more opportunistic diet. they feed on prey that matches their own weight or even exceeds it; as agile, adept hunters, they will feed on birds, mammals, and reptiles. they are the most popular falcon species taken from the wild for falconry in the united states - though some falconers do not prefer them as they find them to have stubborn and difficult to train natures, they are respected as adept and aggressive hunters who can easily take down prey including doves, quail, and small ducks; although injury to the falcon can occur, prairie falcons are sometimes used for larger kills like geese and pheasants.
