Peregrine Prey Species (birds only) Identified in California

As you can see, Peregrines consume small to mid-size birds of all types, from tiny snowy plovers to hawks. This is by no means a comprehensive list of all the birds Peregrines
dine on, but it gives you a good idea of the variety they enjoy.

This list was compiled by the Santa Cruz Predatory Bird Research Group based on observations of hunting activities and study of debris collected from nests.

Western Grebe Red-necked Grebe Eared Grebe
Pied-billed Grebe
 
Sooty Shearwater
 
Fork-tailed Storm Petrel
Pelagic Cormorant
 
Black-crowned Night Heron
 
Green-backed Heron
Cattle Egret
 
Snowy Egret
 
Mallard
Gadwall
 
Green-winged Teal
 
American Wigeon
Northern Pintail
 
Northern Shoveler
 
Cinnamon Teal
Ruddy Duck
 
Wood Duck
 
Lesser Scaup
Common Goldeneye
 
Bufflehead
 
Common Merganser
Clapper Rail
 
Sora
 
American Coot
Black Oystercatcher
 
American Avocet
 
Black-necked Stilt
Snowy Plover
 
Semi-palmated Plover
 
K illdeer
Mountain Plover
 
Black-bellied Plover
 
M arbled Godwit
Long-billed Curlew
 
Whimbrel
 
Willet
Greater Yellowlegs
 
Lesser Yellowlegs
 
Solitary Sandpiper
spotted sandpiper
 
wandering tattler
 
red phalarope
Short-billed Dowitcher
 
Long-billed Dowitcher
 
Common Snipe
Ruddy Turnstone
 
Surfbird
 
Red Knot
Dunlin
 
Sanderling
 
W estern Sandpiper
Heermann's Gull
 
Bonaparte's Gull
 
Ring-billed Gull
Mew Gull
 
California Gull
 
Western Gull
Common Tern
 
Forster's tern
 
Least Tern
black tern
 
Elegant Tern
 
Caspian's Tern
Pigeon Guillemot
 
Xantus' Murrelet
 
Cassin's Auklet
Rhinoceros Auklet
 
Black-shouldered Kite
 
Sharp-shinned Hawk
American Kestrel
 
Blue Grouse
 
California Quail
Band-tailed Pigeon
 
Rock Dove
 
M ourning Dove
Spotted Dove
 
Cockatiel
 
B udgerigar
Burrowing Owl
 
C ommon Poorwill
 
Common Nighthawk
Black Swift
 
Vaux's Swift
 
W hite-throated Swift
Hummingbird sp.
 
B elted Kingfisher
 
N orthern Flicker
Acorn Woodpecker
 
W hite-headed Woodpecker
 
R ed-breasted Sapsucker
Lewis' Woodpecker
 
D owny Woodpecker
 
H airy Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
 
W estern Kingbird
 
A sh-Throated Flycatcher
Black Phoebe
 
Say's Phoebe
 
H orned Lark
Tree Swallow
 
V iolet-green Swallow
 
B ank Swallow
Cliff Swallow
 
B arn Swallow
 
S crub Jay
Steller's Jay
 
G ray Jay
 
Clark's Nutcracker
Yellow-billed Magpie
 
American Crow
 
C ommon Raven
Plain Titmouse
 
C hickadee sp.
 
White-breasted Nuthatch
Red-breasted Nuthatch
 
B ewick's Wren
 
W estern Bluebird
Mountain Bluebird
 
Townsend's Solitaire
 
Swainson's Thrush
Hermit Thrush
 
V aried Thrush
 
American Robin
Northern Mockingbird
 
American Dipper
 
C edar Waxwing
European Starling
 
Y ellow-rumped Warbler
 
Townsend's Warbler
Wilson's Warbler
 
Y ellow Warbler
 
B lack-headed Grosbeak
Brown Towhee
 
S ong Sparrow
 
D ark-eyed Junco
White-crowned Sparrow
 
F ox Sparrow
 
W estern Meadowlark
Red-winged Blackbird
 
Brewer's Blackbird
 
B rown-headed Cowbird
Northern Oriole
 
H ooded Oriole
 
W estern Tanager
House Sparrow
 
P ine Siskin
 
American Goldfinch
Lesser Goldfinch
 
Lawrence's Goldfinch
 
R ed Crossbill
Purple Finch
 
H ouse Finch
 
E vening Grosbeak

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