prairie falcon

noun

1. a North American falcon, Falco mexicanus, grayish-brown above and white barred with brown below.

Word History and Origins

Origin of prairie falcon¹

An Americanism dating back to 1870–75

Example Sentences

He returned a few days later in his Ford F-150 pickup with a lone, white-and-gray mottled gyr prairie falcon, an adolescent named Tilda.

From New York Times

Swanson guided the raptor — a hybrid of the Arctic gyrfalcon and Western U.S. prairie falcon, which can dive at speeds of around 100 miles per hour — onto his leather-gloved fist and walked with Savastano and Gillian up onto the boardwalk.

From New York Times

In contrast, many birds, such as the American kestrel and the prairie falcon, are exposed “to the full brunt of global heating,” explains Andrew McKechnie, a physiological ecologist at the University of Pretoria who was not part of the study.

From Science Magazine

A prairie falcon - the same species whose hunt inspired him during childhood - which was well to the east of its normal range.

From Washington Times

A nearby ranger explained that he had just seen a prairie falcon kill a dove.

From Washington Times