need help

[ZombiesniperJr]

My book states Prairie falcons eat birds and small mammals. So that would be normal food for them. Merlin are more bird and flying insect eaters and don't tend to go after non flying prey.

As to whether it is cross bred, that I can't say. It may be or it could be variation due to the expansion into less arid territory. Prairie falcons are known to be widely vagrant, as far east as massachusets for example, when their usual territory is west of the rockies and extends to the high plains for wintering. You aren't that far out of their marked breeding territory so it is possible you have seen a pair exploring for new territory. Remains to be seen whether they will be successful or if it will be a failed expansion of the breeding area.

Looking at pics of the merlin compared to the prairie falcons and it looks the most like a merlin and the call sounds to be a merlin not a prairie falcon

 

[rodbender]

It's a Female Merlin 100%

 

[Achaicus]

Well you've gotten to see the birds again, and perhaps gotten a better look at relative size and other behaviors. The female prairie morph of the Merlin is more brown than the taiga or pacific (black). Merlin do have out sized behavior so the impression could be that they are bigger than they are. Merlin have been known to take down large mourning doves which can be 2/3 to 3/4 their own size. As for the mouse hunger could push them to consider prey they don't normally go after.

 

[ZombiesniperJr]

Well you've gotten to see the birds again, and perhaps gotten a better look at relative size and other behaviors. The female prairie morph of the Merlin is more brown than the taiga or pacific (black). Merlin do have out sized behavior so the impression could be that they are bigger than they are. Merlin have been known to take down large mourning doves which can be 2/3 to 3/4 their own size. As for the mouse hunger could push them to consider prey they don't normally go after.

This year there has been a very big increase in mice up here so that could be why the merlins returned here they have not been here in a couple years