Merlin by Tim Lenz Licensed (CC BY 2.0) edited by MEPhoto 63668786, (c) Vijay Vanaparthy, some rights reserved (CC BY) edited by ME
We have three falcons that grace us with their presence west of the Cascade Range. The most common is also the smallest – the American Kestrel. They can be found anywhere there is a powerline and a field. Merlins will only visit us in the Winter and love eating our songbirds. Look for them perched high on top of trees. And our third but most notorious falcon is the Peregrine. They nest in cities under bridges and on buildings and love eating pigeons When it is shorebird migration, look for them cruising mudflats in search of delicious peeps. Looking for more raptor guides? Check out my extensive Red-Tailed Hawk ID Guide, or my Cooper’s Vs Sharp Shin guide.