North Carolina is home to several species of falcons, which are among the fastest and most agile birds of prey in the world. Falcons are raptors belonging to the genus Falco, characterized by their long, pointed wings built for high-speed flight and a distinctive notched beak, known as a tomial tooth, used to dispatch prey. The state hosts a mix of resident populations, migratory visitors, and species that breed in the mountain peaks. These powerful hunters can be observed across the state’s diverse landscapes, from its high-elevation cliffs to its coastal barrier islands.
Peregrine Falcons: Return to the Peaks
The Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) represents a conservation success story in North Carolina, although it remains listed as a threatened species within the state. Their population was nearly wiped out across the eastern United States by the mid-20th century, primarily due to the widespread use of the pesticide DDT, which caused eggshell thinning and nesting failure. Reintroduction efforts, including a hacking program in the 1980s, were implemented to re-establish a stable breeding population in the Appalachian Mountains.
The Peregrine Falcon can achieve speeds exceeding 200 miles per hour during its hunting dive, called a stoop. In North Carolina, they are most reliably found nesting on high, sheer cliff faces in the western mountains, such as along the Blue Ridge Parkway. They also utilize man-made structures in urban and coastal areas, mimicking their traditional cliff environments. Careful observers may spot them year-round in the mountains, though they are often transient migrants along the coast.
American Kestrels: The Widespread Hunter
The American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) is the smallest and most frequently encountered falcon throughout North Carolina. This raptor is easily recognized by its vibrant plumage, which displays sexual dimorphism; the male exhibits striking blue-gray wings, while the female’s wings are reddish-brown. Kestrels are often seen perched on utility poles and roadside wires, scanning open habitats like agricultural fields, pastures, and clearings.
Their primary hunting technique involves kiting, where they hover in place against the wind, maintaining a stationary position before dropping onto prey. While they are considered year-round residents in many parts of the state, their numbers have shown a documented decline in recent decades. The loss of suitable nesting cavities, typically old woodpecker holes, and habitat changes are contributing factors to this reduction.
Merlins and Other Transients
The Merlin (Falco columbarius) is the state’s third regular falcon species, primarily observed as a transient migrant passing through in spring and fall. These mid-sized falcons are larger and stockier than the American Kestrel but smaller than the Peregrine Falcon. Merlins are specialized bird hunters, exhibiting a fast, direct flight as they pursue small songbirds and shorebirds.
Merlin sightings are most common along the coast, particularly the Outer Banks, where they follow the Atlantic Flyway during migration. They can be seen resting on snags or utility structures near large bodies of water. Though historically not known to breed in the state, recent observations of nesting behavior in the western mountains suggest the species may be slowly expanding its summer range southward.