In North America, the Prairie Falcon breeds from south-central British Columbia, southern Alberta and southwestern Saskatchewan south through the west and mid-western states to northern Mexico. Breeding has been recorded east as far as western North and South Dakota, western Nebraska, most of Colorado, and New Mexico.
Most wintering birds occur south of southern Washington, Idaho, and Oregon with some movement eastward into Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma and central Texas. The winter range extends well down into Mexico including Baja Califfornia. Winter dispersal takes some birds into the eastern states such as Minnesota, Missouri, and Illinois with records along the eastern seaboard into the Carolinas and Gulf coast. Birds occur annually in the northern parts of the breeding range during winter but numbers are low. This falcon can be regularly found year-round in those parts of the breeding range south of about 42 degrees latitude and north of Mexico.
The Prairie Falcon occurs nowhere else in the world. It is thought to be related to the Laggar Falcon of southern Asia and perhaps to the Saker Falcon of eastern Asia and northern Africa but has never been recorded in these regions.
MIGRATION
The Prairie Falcon is a bird of the western and mid-western prairie lands and in general, it tends to stay there. Indeed, on the basis of birds present on northern breeding grounds during the winter, it has caused some authors to suggest that this species does not migrate at all. However, dispersal from the breeding range occurs as early as late July in some areas as adults and fledged young seek new food sources. By late August or September, in most places, movement is evident with arrival on the wintering grounds in Utah during late October for example. Arrival in favorite wintering areas in Colorado and Wyoming occurred during November in one study. The widespread wanderings of birds in search of food following the breeding season plus the eastward dispersal of juveniles from nesting areas confounds the ability to describe a discreet migration period.
In general, the young of the year, and at least some of the adult population, make a distinct movement into southern and eastern regions not occupied during the nesting season. Other adults remain within the general breeding range but cluster on favored wintering grounds in response to aggregations of prey species such as Horned Larks.
Return to the breeding grounds generally occurs from February to April but birds have been seen at aeries in Idaho during late January. In Colorado and Wyoming, activity in the vicinity of nest sites has been noted in late February. In British Columbia, eggs are laid during April, suggesting spring migration at least during March and April if not earlier.
Migration corridors are not known or well-documented. In one study, dispersal from nesting areas in Wyoming and Colorado showed a strong east-southeast orientation with some birds moving as far as the eastern states.
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