A red-tailed hawk circling over the Wasatch Range grabs plenty of attention, but the real speed specialists in Utah’s skies belong to a different family entirely. Four types of falcons live in Utah, and each one hunts in its own way, from insect-snatching hovers over farm fields to high-speed dives that outpace most freeway traffic.
Falcons differ from hawks in more than just looks. Unlike other raptors, falcons kill their prey with their beaks rather than their talons, and they are also usually faster, with longer and more slender wings compared to hawks. Falcons belong to the Falco genus rather than the Accipiter genus of hawks, and they typically have long, thin wings rather than the wide, short wings of a hawk. Below is a closer look at the four species you’re most likely to encounter across Utah’s canyons, wetlands, and cities.
Pro Tip: For spotting fast-moving raptors, look for binoculars with a magnification between 8x and 10x, which offers a powerful view without sacrificing the wide field of vision needed to track a falcon in flight.
1. American Kestrel
The American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) is the smallest falcon in North America. This species measures about 8 to 12 inches in length with a wingspan of 20 to 24 inches, making it only roughly the size of an American Robin. Don’t let the small frame fool you, though; this is a genuinely fierce hunter.
Males and females look distinctly different, which is unusual among falcons. Males have gorgeous slate-blue heads and wings that contrast with a rusty-red back and tail, while females carry that same warm red across their wings, back, and tail. Both sexes share a pair of dark stripes across the face, a pattern falconers sometimes call a “mustache and sideburn.”
Kestrels feed mostly on invertebrates. They primarily feed on insects and invertebrates like grasshoppers, beetles, cicadas, dragonflies, moths, and spiders, including many of the same species covered in our guide to Utah’s beetles and our roundup of Utah’s spiders. To find that prey, kestrels face into the wind and beat their wings rapidly to hover in place before diving onto prey below. Recent research suggests part of their edge comes from their eyes: kestrels can see ultraviolet light, which helps them detect rodent urine trails, giving them a major advantage when locating prey.
The American Kestrel can be found throughout Utah year-round, and it’s by far the falcon you’re most likely to see on any given outing. Data compiled from birdwatcher checklists across the state put the American Kestrel at roughly 18.4%, well ahead of the Prairie Falcon at 2.7%, the Merlin at 2.5%, and the Peregrine Falcon at 0.8%. Look for kestrels perched on fence posts and telephone wires around farmland, especially near open fields shared with mourning doves and other dove species common across Utah.
Although widespread, kestrel populations have declined due to habitat loss and fewer nesting cavities. The American Kestrel is comfortable around people and will commonly use human-made nest boxes to raise its young, which matters since numbers have been steadily declining. Backyard nest boxes near open fields are one of the simplest ways Utah residents can support this species.
2. Merlin
The Merlin (Falco columbarius) is another small falcon that calls Utah home, though only for part of the year. Merlins are found in Utah mainly during the winter, after they have migrated south from their summer breeding grounds in Canada. Compact and stocky compared to a Kestrel, this falcon has earned a reputation far beyond its size.
That reputation dates back centuries. Merlins are affectionately called “lady hawks” in the region, and in medieval times they were the falcon of choice for noblewomen. The name has stuck even as the birds’ fortunes have shifted dramatically over the last several decades.
Key Insight: Merlin populations within Utah are on the rise thanks to a federal ban on using DDT pesticides, and the birds can now be seen prevalently around towns and cities as well as their usual open fields.
Merlins hunt almost exclusively on the wing. Their primary food source is other birds, such as house sparrows, dickcissels, sandpipers, and other shorebirds, many of which overlap with species in our broader guide to water birds across North America. Merlins are experts at the high-speed attack, zooming across the ground horizontally or chasing prey from below, forcing it higher and higher. If a flock of foraging shorebirds suddenly bursts into flight for no obvious reason, a Merlin may be the culprit, relying on surprise attacks from above to dive down and retrieve prey.
Merlins are also notably bold. Despite its diminutive stature, this falcon is an incredibly fierce bird that uses surprise attacks to bring down prey, and it has even been seen attacking trains and cars that enter its territory. While generally silent, it’s possible to hear a loud, high cackle that sounds like “klee-klee-klee,” typically made during courtship or when showing aggression. Some mated pairs have been known to work cooperatively, with one bird driving prey right into the claws of its partner.
3. Peregrine Falcon
The Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) is the celebrity of Utah’s raptor world, and for good reason. The Peregrine Falcon is the fastest bird of prey in North America, and in level pursuit flight it has been recorded reaching speeds up to 69 miles per hour while chasing prey through open air.
Peregrines are also remarkably adaptable in where they choose to live. This species can be found nearly everywhere in Utah, and it is actually found on every continent except Antarctica. Because of its fondness for nesting on the sides of tall buildings, this falcon has become common in cities, where it can turn into a local celebrity. That pattern holds true along the Wasatch Front, where falcons can often be observed diving for prey or perching on high cliffs and tall structures in cities like Salt Lake as well as remote wilderness areas.
Peregrines eat almost exclusively other birds, and their menu is enormous. At least 450 different types of birds have been documented as Peregrine Falcon prey. They are not picky and take almost anything they can catch, including ducks, gulls, pigeons, and songbirds. The size range is striking: these raptors have been observed killing individuals as small as a hummingbird and as large as a Sandhill Crane, which puts species from our guide to hummingbird varieties across North America firmly within reach of a hunting Peregrine. When they aren’t eating birds, it’s common for these falcons to hunt bats instead.
Despite their fierce hunting style, Peregrines are surprisingly quiet birds. You won’t hear a Peregrine Falcon make much noise except around its nesting site as an alarm call, which sounds like “kack-kack-kack-kack.” Utah’s population includes both year-round residents and seasonal migrants; the Peregrine Falcon has both year-round and migratory populations within the state and is considered the most prized bird of the area, historically prized in falconry for its extreme speed and agility. Readers curious how the species fares elsewhere can compare notes with our regional breakdowns of falcons in Ohio and falcons in Florida.
4. Prairie Falcon
The Prairie Falcon (Falco mexicanus) is Utah’s large, pale falcon of open, arid country. This species has a length of 15 to 19 inches and a wingspan of 35 to 45 inches, and it nests in cavities on cliffs along rocky canyons, buttes, and outcrops. According to the Wikipedia entry on the species, the Prairie Falcon is a separate species from the Peregrine Falcon that essentially represents an arid-climate divergence of earlier peregrine lineage, allowing it to thrive on a more meager, opportunistic diet.
Field identification comes down to a few key marks. According to eBird’s species account, this bird is pale brown above and white below with dark streaks and a prominent mustache, and the dark “armpits” visible in flight are the best way to separate it from a Peregrine Falcon.
Important Note: Prairie Falcons and Peregrine Falcons are easy to confuse at a distance. The dark axillary patches under a Prairie Falcon’s wings, paired with its overall paler, sandier plumage, are the most reliable clues when the birds are backlit against a canyon wall.
Diet shifts with the seasons. Per the Prairie Falcon fact sheet from HawkWatch International, this species hunts primarily ground squirrels during summer, captured through low, surprise-attack flight as well as perch hunting, though in certain areas Prairie Falcons eat birds such as meadowlarks, Horned Larks, and pipits equally as often or more so as small mammals. Because it specializes in mammals rather than birds, the Prairie Falcon survived the pesticide era better than the bird-eating Peregrine Falcon.
Nesting habits are minimal by design. The Prairie Falcon doesn’t build much of a nest, instead looking for natural crevices and depressions or areas along a cliff with a protective overhang. A breeding pair will patrol its territory and fight off any intruding Peregrine Falcons, which explains some of the aerial confrontations birders occasionally witness along Utah’s canyon rims. This rugged cliff and canyon country is also home to several rattlesnake species found in Utah, so hikers scanning the skies for falcons should still watch their footing among the rocks.
Prairie Falcons are less common than Kestrels but still findable with some effort. This species is relatively uncommon throughout the West and rare to exceptionally rare in the East. Fall migrants pass through predictably; at one long-running count site, bulk passage dates run from 27 August through 9 October at Wellsville Lookout in Utah. Antelope Island, the Great Salt Lake shoreline, and the cliffs of Zion National Park are consistently good places to scan for this species.
Spotting all four of Utah’s falcons in a single season is a realistic goal for anyone willing to put in a few mornings at the right spots. The American Kestrel will likely be the easiest tick, followed by the Peregrine Falcon around cliffs or city buildings, with the Merlin and Prairie Falcon rewarding patience during the cooler months. Readers building out a broader Utah bird list may also enjoy our guides to Utah’s blue-colored birds and other distinctive species, or the spotting-gear breakdown at One Naturalist’s guide to Utah falcon habitats for more field tactics.