Food Habits

Peregrines feed almost exclusively on small and medium sized birds. Favorite prey include pigeons (rock doves),
shore birds, medium sized passerines, swallows, White-throated Swifts, Clark’s Nutcrackers, Starlings, and blackbirds. Peregrines also kill game species—pheasants, ducks, grouse. and Hungarian Partridge. Occasionally, the peregrine will even take insects. We observed the Blackfoot peregrine(adjacent) and his mate taking salmonflies over the Blackfoot River.

Female adult peregrine catching a salmonfly( Kate Davis Photo)