PRAIRIE FALCON 31 



Teal seem to be a favorite quarry and Mr. J. H. Price has twice shot 

 one of these ducks from a flock pursued by a Prairie Falcon before it 

 had made its stoop. This dashing marauder attends upon the Teal 

 as they move up and down the creeks." From such a list as this, 

 with so many game species upon it, it would seem that the prairie 

 falcon is a great destroyer of birds. The fact is that all the incidents 

 given here are exceptional, although interesting because they illus- 

 trate the prowess of some individual prairie falcons. Grinnell, Dixon, 

 and Linsdale (1930) actually say: "Feeding ducks and coots at Eagle 

 Lake appeared to pay no attention to hunting Falcons. It was thought 

 that in that vicinity this species hunted for meadowlarks and flickers." 

 I believe, also, that prairie-falcon attacks on poultry are unusual 

 occurrences. Although I have searched the literature about this 

 species, I find only the following records, and these include both 

 specific instances and general statements based upon evidence un- 

 known to me. Baird, Brewer, and Ridgway (1905) say: "Dr. Suckley 

 procured a specimen at Ft. Dalles in the beginning of winter, 1854-5, 

 caught in the act of carrying oft" a barn-yard fowl of about its own 

 weight, and which it had just seized near the door of a dwelling-house." 

 Ridgway (1877) notes: "In the Truckee Valley we saw one snatch a 

 young chicken from a door-yard, in the presence of several specta- 

 tors." Merriam (1891) records one shot while "in the act of chasing 

 a chicken in the lower part of Birch Creek [Idaho], August 7 [1890] ; its 

 stomach contained a Horn Lark (Otocoris). But they "were often 

 seen chasing Teal up and down the creek." Cohen (1903) adds: 

 "One attacked a band of half grown turkeys early in the fall and the 

 other flew from an oak at some pigeons inside their enclosures and 

 struck the wire netting." Peabody (1907) says: "As is well-known, 

 this Falcon is a terror to poultry." Cameron (1907) notes: "The 

 Prairie Falcon is very bold in its attacks upon game birds and poul- 

 try * * *. In attacking full grown hens the falcon suddenly 

 checks its stoop about a yard above the victim over which it hovers 

 before making the final dash. Meanwhile the shrieking fowl runs 

 wildly about and there is often time to scare away the freebooter 

 which then mounts with incredible rapidity." Truesdale (1910) 

 writes: "Their food consists chiefly of small mammals, birds and 

 occasionally chickens which they catch. * * * I have seen this 

 falcon fly into a flock of chickens and strike one * * * returning 

 again and get another one in the same manner, until they have lolled 

 off nine chickens." Vernon Bailey (in Florence Merriam Bailey, 1902) 

 says: "The falcons are bold freebooters when a farmyard happens to 

 lie in the valley below and their hungry young are calling, but ordi- 

 narily ground squirrels and other small rodents supply most of their 

 food. The few birds they get are mostly caught on the wing. One 

 that shot past me in pursuit of a flock of Gambel quails in southern 



