Falcons are birds of prey that belong to the Falconidae family. There are over 40 different species of falcons that can be found on every continent except Antarctica. Falcons are best known for their speed, keen eyesight, and aerial hunting abilities. Their behaviors and adaptations allow them to thrive as predators in a variety of habitats around the world.
Some key questions about falcon behavior include:
- How do falcons hunt and catch prey?
- How do falcons interact with other falcons and animals?
- How do falcons raise their young?
- How do falcons migrate and travel?
Read on to learn more about the remarkable behaviors of falcons that enable their survival and success.
Hunting and Prey Capture
Falcons have excellent vision that allows them to spot potential prey from afar. Their eyes are specially adapted to detect slight movements on the ground from hundreds of feet in the air. Once prey is targeted, falcons will engage in a swift dive called a stoop. They can reach speeds over 200 mph in a stoop, making them the fastest animals on earth.
Different falcon species employ varied hunting techniques based on their size, wingspan, and habitat. Peregrine falcons are one of the larger species and chase down other birds mid-flight. Smaller merlin falcons surprise and ambush flocking songbirds from cover. Lanner falcons and gyrfalcons living in open country use high soaring flight to scout prey like hares and ptarmigans below.
Regardless of technique, falcons strike prey with their talons to inflict a knock-out blow. They have strong toes and curved talons specially evolved for latching onto prey in mid-air. Falcons have a sharp, hooked beak called a tomial tooth used to sever the spinal cord of caught prey. This allows them to quickly kill prey and carry it off.
Special Abilities
Falcons possess special physical and behavioral adaptations that aid their hunting success:
- Dense bones and streamlined bodies to reach fast diving speeds
- Excellent binocular vision to spot prey from afar
- Reversible outer toe that allows secure grasping
- Sharp tomial tooth for killing bites
- Highly maneuverable pointed wings
- Stealth flight when needed to ambush
These adaptations make falcons formidable hunters able to pursue a wide range of prey types in diverse environments. Their specialized hunting behaviors are a key reason falcons can thrive on every continent.
Interactions with Other Animals
Falcons have a variety of interactions with other animals throughout their lives. These relationships can be predatory, competitive, or even symbiotic at times.
Territoriality
Falcons are highly territorial birds that defend areas called territories from other falcons. A territory provides key resources needed for survival like food, nesting sites, and perches. Falcons mark territories with flight displays and loud vocalizations. Intruding falcons are aggressively chased off, sometimes leading to aerial battles. Maintaining a territory is essential to attract a mate and raise young.
Competition
Falcons compete with other predators for shared prey sources. In an area, they may compete with hawks, eagles, owls, and mammalian hunters like foxes. The competition can lead to habitat partitioning where each predator specializes on certain prey types or hunting locations to minimize competition. For example, large falcons may target birds in open areas while smaller falcons hunt within forests.
Symbiosis
Some falcon species have symbiotic relationships where both species benefit. For instance, falcons will nest on cliffs and ledges on trees near peregrine falcon aeries. The larger falcons offer protection from potential predators. In turn, the smaller falcons gain safe nesting sites. Falcons have also been observed following wolf packs to grab prey the wolves flush but do not catch. This provides easy meals for the falcons.
Raising Young
Falcons mate for life and work together to raise young called eyases each breeding season. Falcons engage in elaborate courtship rituals to cement pair bonds. Once bonded, the male and female falcon cooperate to build a nest called an eyrie or scrape. Cliffs, bluffs, trees, and human structures are used for nesting.
The female lays eggs and does the majority of incubating while the male provides food. Falcon eggs hatch after about a month. For the first 2 weeks, the eyases are brooded and fed by the female within the nest. The male continues to deliver food. After this early period, the eyases reach a rapid growth phase and require lots of nutrition. Both parents exhaustively hunt to satisfy the appetite of their fast-growing chicks.
Within 6-8 weeks, the eyases are fully fledged and ready to leave the nest. They will still be fed and taught to hunt by the parents for some time after fledging. Most falcon young are independent by about 10-12 weeks old. Reproductive success and chick survival are dependent on ample food availability and nesting site safety.
Key Behaviors
Key parental behaviors of falcons during breeding include:
- Elaborate pair bonding displays
- Joint nest construction
- Shared incubation and brooding
- Extensive food provisioning of offspring
- Post-fledging care and training
These behaviors illustrate the strong reproductive cooperation between falcon parents. Their synchronized efforts are vital to successfully hatching and raising eyases each season.
Migration and Movement
Many falcon species migrate and cover large distances each year. Migration serves to follow ideal habitat conditions and food sources across the seasons. Other falcons are resident species that remain in the same general area year-round.
Migration
Migratory falcons often travel thousands of miles between breeding and wintering grounds. For instance, the Amur falcon breeds in Russia and Asia and migrates all the way to southern Africa for winter. Peregrine falcons famously migrate from Arctic nesting regions to winter as far south as Argentina.
Falcons primarily make these epic journeys alone rather than in flocks. They navigate using mental maps and sensing the Earth’s magnetic field. Many migratory falcons concentrate along coasts, mountain ranges, and other landforms during migration. These leading lines guide navigation.
Nomadism
Some falcons like the red-footed falcon exhibit nomadic movement patterns. Nomadic species wander widely based on food availability and habitat conditions instead of following predictable seasonal migration routes. Their movements are irregular and opportunistic in seeking abundant food sources.
Residency
Other falcons like the Aplomado falcon are resident species. They stake out permanent territories and stay within them year-round. Resident falcons expand their home ranges in winter to find additional food but do not make large-scale migrations. Their movements are more localized to their regular territories.
Falcon Species Profiles
The wide variety of falcon species around the world showcases the behavioral flexibility and adaptability of these raptors. Here are profiles of five incredible and unique falcon species.
Peregrine Falcon
- Known for record diving speeds of over 200 mph
- Reach wingspans up to approximately 4 feet
- Found on every continent except Antarctica
- Nest on tall cliffs, urban towers, and ledges
- Prey mostly on other birds like pigeons and waterfowl
- Migrate long distances between Arctic breeding and southern wintering grounds
Gyrfalcon
- Largest falcon species at up to 25 inches long with over 4-foot wingspan
- Only falcon species where color varies significantly from all white to dark grey
- Inhabit Arctic and subarctic regions
- Nest on cliff ledges and sometimes old stick nests of other birds
- Take large prey like ptarmigan, ducks, and hares
- Irruptive winter movements based on prey numbers but not true migration
Merlin
- Small species under 1 foot long with 2-foot wingspan
- Males are blue-grey in color while females are brown
- Found in open country like grasslands, farms, and coastal areas
- Nest in abandoned corvid or songbird nests in trees
- Hunt small birds like sparrows, starlings, and shorebirds
- Long migrations between boreal forest breeding and southern US wintering
Aplomado Falcon
- Distinctive black and white banded tail
- Inhabit grasslands, savannas, and open woodlands
- Nest in old stick nests in trees
- Prey on birds, bats, and insects
- Resident species with year-round territories
- Forage more like hawks by hovering and climbing before striking
New Zealand Falcon
- Endemic to New Zealand
- Morphs range from brown to lighter gray
- Inhabit diverse habitats from forests to alpine areas
- Nest on rock ledges and cliff faces
- Take birds and smaller mammals like bats and rabbits
- Disperse locally but not migratory
Conclusion
In summary, falcons demonstrate a wide array of behaviors related to hunting, social dynamics, breeding, and movement patterns. Their diverse behavioral strategies enable different species to successfully thrive across habitats worldwide. Key falcon behaviors include territorial defense, spectacular diving stoops to catch prey, migratory journeys covering thousands of miles, and dedicated parental care. The flexibility and adaptability of falcons underlies their global distribution and ecological success. Their speed, ferocity, and grace will continue to inspire human imagination while their future depends on sustained habitat and biodiversity conservation.