Birds of Prey An Ecosystem Study

Prairie Falcon Falco meixcanos MEASUREMENTS: The Prairie Falcon has a body length of 15 - 20 inches, a 3 1/2 foot wingspan, and weighs 1 - 2 pounds

HABITAT: Prairie Falcons inhabit hills, canyons, and mountains of arid grasslands and shrub-steppes of southwestern Canada, western United States, Baja California, and northern Mexico.

DIET: The primary food of Prairie Falcons is small mammals, especially ground squirrels, but they will also hunt birds, reptiles, and insects. This falcon actively searches for prey during flight. Prairie Falcons catch prey on or close to the ground after a low angled swoop from above.

REPRODUCTION: Typically, Prairie Falcons nest on a cliff face using a ledge, cavity, crevice, or an abandoned nest of eagles, hawks, or ravens. Prairie Falcons lay 3 - 6 eggs with an incubation time of about 34 days. Young falcons leave the nest 5 - 6 weeks after hatching.

Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area: a study

Congress established the Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area (NCA) in 1993 to protect North America's, and possibly the world's, largest concentration of birds of prey.

They include bald and golden eagles, several species of owls, peregrine falcons, prairie falcons, kestrel, merlin, and others. The NCA covers 485,000 acres along 81 miles of the river canyon. In addition to nesting habitat along canyon walls that tower up to 600 feet high, this area includes 420,000 acres of critical prey habitat.

Your job is to analyze an ecological pattern that occurs every year at this National Conservation Area