By Kristy McCaffrey
Prairie falcons are medium-sized falcons similar to peregrines located in Western North America. They might be better called desert falcons from their need for open space and arid dry habitats.
They’re scrappy survivalists, with females much larger than
males. They don’t like human interaction much but are considered an entry level
bird for falconry. They're smart but don’t catch on to routine well if
training has been lacking. But when trained well, they’re incredible hunters—aggressive,
agile, and determined.
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| Prairie Falcon (courtesy of Deposit Photos) |
Proper training includes providing abundant food (to avoid developing the habit of screaming for food) and extensive "manning" (close contact and handling). Unlike the peregrine, they do not respond well to training with the swung lure, as missing the lure brings out their impatience. Teaching prairie falcons to climb and "wait on" to stoop on game is best accomplished by a reward system of flushing game or serving live birds such as pigeons for the falcon to chase when the falcon has assumed the proper position several hundred feet or more above the falconer.
The prairie falcon's eagerness to hunt and chase requires it
to be patiently taught that when it assumes the proper waiting on position the
falconer can be trusted to reliably flush game. As the falcon comes to
understand this, it learns to hunt as an effective team with the falconer.
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In my upcoming book, The Falcon, the heroine is trying to raise a prairie falcon she found as a fledgling.
Wings of the West: Book 12
Coming July 3, 2026
Josie Ryan’s connection to Texas runs deep, from the land to an almost preternatural kinship with the animals in the wild. This bond has led her to the edge of life and death, from saving a boy caught in a fire when she was eleven years old to being struck by lightning to a mountain lion attack that almost ended her life. The discovery of an abandoned falcon chick leads to a fierce attachment, but with only intuition to guide her, Josie struggles to train the wildest creature she’s ever encountered. When she learns of a man who could help, she’s determined to gain an introduction.
Mateo Almirón, El Halconero—The Falconer—and Argentine gaucho, is tasked with delivering two prized purebred Criollo mares to Matt Ryan, a man whose reputation casts a long shadow. Years ago, Ryan saved the life of Mateo’s father, and the horses will settle the longstanding debt, but when the exchange goes wrong, Mateo is entrusted with protecting Ryan’s daughter, Josie. Now Mateo and Josie must hide in the mountains of Northern Mexico where stories abound of Josie’s mother, a woman who lived among the Comanche and rose from the dead.
But in a place alive with superstition, Josie and her untamed falcon will give rise to a new legend …
Josie is the youngest child of Matt and Molly from THE WREN.
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(It will also be available at Kobo, Google Play Books, and in paperback on release day.)
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