What Do Falcons Eat? 🪶A Sky-High Look at Their Diet

What Do Falcons Eat?

Answer at a Glance: Falcons are carnivorous birds of prey. Their diet primarily consists of other birds, but also includes small mammals, insects, reptiles—and occasionally fish. Their exact menu varies by species, habitat, and hunting strategy (del Hoyo et al., 2020).

Dive Deeper

• What Is a Falcon?
• Falcon Menu: What They Eat
• Specialized Skills for the Hunt
• Season & Regional Diet Shifts
• Quick Quiz: Falcon Food Facts
• Raptor Menu Recap
• References

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🔬 What Is a Falcon?

Falcons belong to the family Falconidae, which differs from hawks and eagles (Accipitridae). Key features include:

• A tooth‑like notch (“tomial tooth”) on their beak for quick kills (Clark, 2016)
• Incredible speed, especially during diving stoops (White et al., 2002)
• Exceptional eyesight to spot prey from high altitudes (Fischer, 1994)
• A direct pursuit hunting style, not soaring

There are roughly 40 falcon species worldwide, from the mighty Peregrine to the petite American Kestrel (BirdLife International, 2021).

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🥩 Falcon Menu: What They Eat

Falcon Species	Typical Diet	Hunting Style
Peregrine Falcon	Mostly medium-sized birds—pigeons, doves, shorebirds—and occasionally small mammals, reptiles, bats, insects, and fish (White et al., 2002)	High-speed aerial stoop
American Kestrel	Insects (grasshoppers, beetles), small rodents (voles, mice), small birds, lizards, and occasionally bats or scorpions (BirdLife International, 2021)	Hovering or perching, then dive
Common Kestrel	Mostly mouse-sized mammals; birds most important on rodent-scarce islands; some invertebrates (BirdLife International, 2021)	Hovering and low flight
Gyrfalcon	Arctic ground squirrels, hares, ptarmigan, ducks, seabirds; occasionally lemmings, fish (Potapov & Sale, 2005)	Powerful chase over open expanses

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🛠️ Specialized Skills for Hunting

Falcons have evolved remarkable adaptations:

• Speed: Peregrine Falcons can exceed 240 mph (~390 km/h) in a dive—the fastest known animal (White et al., 2002)
• Agility: Perform twists mid-stoop to adjust trajectory
• Tomial tooth: Used to sever the neck quickly (Clark, 2016)
• Tactical strategies: Some species, like Lanner falcons, hunt cooperatively (Cade, 1982)

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🔄 Seasonal & Regional Diet Shifts

Falcon diet reflects local prey availability:

• Urban Peregrines: Primarily eat pigeons, starlings, and blackbirds (Kettel et al., 2018)
• Rural Kestrels: Focus on grasshoppers, mice, and voles (BirdLife International, 2021)
• Arctic Gyrfalcons: Prefer ptarmigan and sea birds, but will eat rodents and fish when needed (Potapov & Sale, 2005)

Studies suggest adult Peregrines consume ~1–2 blackbird‑sized birds daily (White et al., 2002).

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🧠 Quick Quiz: Falcon Food Facts!

1. True or False? Falcons hunt mostly at night.
   → False. They are diurnal hunters, but urban Peregrines may hunt nocturnally during migration (Kettel et al., 2018).
2. What do Peregrine Falcons mainly eat?
   A. Fish
   B. Birds
   C. Insects
   → Correct answer: B.
3. What unique beak feature helps falcons kill prey?
   A. Sharp talons
   B. Tomial tooth notch
   C. Silent feathers
   → Answer: B.

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🪶 Raptor Menu Recap

Raptor Type	Primary Diet	Example Species
Falcons	Birds, insects, small mammals, reptiles	Peregrine, Kestrel, Gyrfalcon
Hawks	Small mammals, birds, reptiles	Red-tailed Hawk
Eagles	Fish, large mammals, birds	Bald Eagle
Owls	Rodents, insects, smaller birds	Great Horned Owl

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🐦 Final Thought: Master Hunters of the Sky

Falcons are apex aerial predators—fine-tuned for speed, precision, and adaptability. Their diets mirror their environments, whether city skyways or Arctic tundras, and showcase their mastery of fast-food hunting.

With specialized anatomy, strategic prowess, and razor-sharp vision, falcons remain one of nature’s most thrilling raptors to observe. Next time one streaks overhead, you’ll understand—it’s not just a bird; it’s a living missile with its eyes on the prize.

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📚 References (APA Style)

• BirdLife International. (2021). Falconidae species factsheets.
• Cade, T. J. (1982). The falcons of the world. Cornell University Press.
• Clark, W. S. (2016). Peterson reference guide to hawks of North America. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
• del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., & Sargatal, J. (Eds.). (2020). Handbook of the birds of the world alive. Lynx Edicions.
• Fischer, B. (1994). Visual acuity of falcons and hawks. Journal of Comparative Physiology A, 174(3), 291–300.
• Kettel, E. F., Gentle, L. K., Quinn, J. L., & Yarnell, R. W. (2018). The breeding performance of raptors in urban landscapes: A review and meta‐analysis. Journal of Ornithology, 159(1), 1–18.
• Potapov, E., & Sale, R. (2005). The gyrfalcon. Yale University Press.
• White, C. M., Clum, N. J., Cade, T. J., & Hunt, W. G. (2002). Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus). In The birds of North America online (No. 660). Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

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