Why Are Prairie & Peregrine Falcons Important? Peregrine falcons, listed as Fully Protected in California, also nest on cliffs at Pinnacles.

Prairie Falcons prefer wide open spaces like grasslands and fields where they soar high overhead looking for their next meal which is usually small mammals or other birds. They are found throughout Colorado and the western half of the United States.

Prairie falcons are carnivores that eat mostly small mammals (especially in summer) and small to medium-sized birds. Common mammalian prey includes squirrels, ground squirrels, prairie dogs, chipmunks, gophers, and rabbits of various species.

Yes. It is quite possible for a hawk to attack and potentially eat a cat. There are numerous videos circulating the internet of hawks catching cats. Hawks may have their preferred prey, but like all raptors and other predators, they are opportunists.

Peregrine falcons are very tiny, not much larger than a kestrel. They can’t eat a whole cat; nor would they even be strong enough to carry it to a safe area where the bird can dine unharrassed.

Smaller backyard hawks, such as the Cooper’s hawk and sharp-shinned hawk, will not usually attack a pet unless they are exceptionally desperate. These hawks typically hunt much smaller game, such as mice or small songbirds. Nevertheless, any hawk, owl, or falcon may attack a pet under the right—or wrong—circumstances.

Various large raptors like golden eagles are reported attacking human beings, but its unclear if they intend to eat them or if they have ever been successful in killing one. The Taung Child, an early human found in Africa, is believed to have been killed by an eagle-like bird similar to the crowned eagle.

The largest and strongest living bird is the North African ostrich (Struthio camelus . Males can be up to 9 feet tall and weigh 345 pounds, and when fully grown the have one of the most advanced immune systems of any animal.

Cassowary

The cassowary