Falconry: Lanner falcon vs Prairie falcon. A comparison

In this falconry video I discuss Lanner Falcons and prairie Falcons. Many authors and biologists and seasoned falconers have compared these two falcons and presented them as filling the same ecological role on opposite sides of the world... an example of convergent evolution. But is this accurate? The Lanner falcon and the Prairie falcon are actually very different for some unique reasons. This video explains their differences and similarities, as well as their strengths and weaknesses as a falconry bird.
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[@remyogun8270]

The best falconry channel...love your passion and knowledge Ben!

[@Henry-hy3bd]

Whenever I see the intro and hear the music I know I’m getting into a good video

[@stevehanson5556]

Thank you Ben another wonderful production

[@annaem927]

Love your Channel, but most when You speak for falcons in a funny manner. Best regards from Poland 🇵🇱 ❤ 😍 🦅

[@vtc4ever]

Ben, thank you for the amazing tutorial on the birds. I would really love to have you in UAE one day!

[@benwoodrufffalconry]

I have never been and you hope to come visit. UAE looks like such amazing place and such rich falconry heritage!

[@vtc4ever]

@@benwoodrufffalconry It would be such an honour to host you here, as we share a lot in common. I come from a family line of Bedouins and falconry is a big part of my family/tribe heritage. Would love to have you before the hunting season and see our unique ways of training and caring of our Falcons!

[@benwoodrufffalconry]

@@vtc4ever I would absolutely love that!

[@viveviveka2651]

Enjoyed the video. Thank you. 🌻

[@johnstwistedego1]

"Weeeee! I'm buoyant!". Great video 😊

[@stevel7865]

Hi Ben, Your assessment of the Lanner is pretty spot on, I've been around these falcons since the mid 70's.....I currently fly a Lanneret at 1lb 3oz, He's never been entered and up to 50 plus passes/stoops is not uncommon. My Falcon Peregrine, well she's a different game altogether, at 2lb 6oz she is everything I ever wanted from a game bird.

[@Peregrinus8375]

Interesting vid comparing two unique falcon species! Prairie Falcons certainly are hard hitting and tenacious birds that punch above their weight but I don't think they hit so much harder than peregrines. There's loads of footage showing prairies hunting both in the wild and in falconry (including that famous and amazing footage of a prairie killing a mallard in one strike) which is definitely some impressive stuff but then again there's plenty of peregrines that are shown to do much the same when it comes to one-shot strikes on prey, and some that seem to hit even harder! I've heard of many falconers (including some I have communicated with) who have flown a number of both peregrines and prairies (as well as a few who have also flown/seen peregrine-prairie-hybrids in action) in their careers and they say that they have had peregrines hit harder than prairies and vice versa, with some saying their hardest hitting falcon was a peregrine of some kind. Of course we all have our unique amazing experiences with different species, but when it comes to what is the hardest hitting falcon, it may be more to do with individual temperament, aggression, size and flight style across different species (or subspecies too in the case of peregrines with over 19 or more subspecies). Some falcons of each species obviously being more tenacious than others which can be a big factor

[@jeffreyscholten8677]

HI Ben, Great video as always! Would love a video about when it is time to release a wild caught bird

[@peterknaust7424]

Hey Ben , thought of you when I saw the hubbub about the spotting of a Bat Falcon in Texas! I don’t know much about them…

[@benwoodrufffalconry]

That was such a cool rare thing to have happen! Bat Falcons are absolutely stunning. I’d kill to fly one. Never had the chance yet. The fun thing is that they often nest and hunt from the tops of Mayan pyramids. The open plazas adjacent to the pyramids are the perfect place for them to hunt bats, birds, and insects in the open which is a stark contrast to the surrounding jungles. Knowing this, it is a sure fire way to track them down if you are in the Yucatán.

[@stewgordon9291]

Hi Ben I have a lanner so any help needed for you big video. Give me shout. 🇬🇧. Love the videos .keep them coming. And yes I am subscribed 😀

[@williampinchers]

Love Lanners my favourite is the Feldeggi Southern European type. Most in the Uk came from Nigeria. It’s a pity numbers here have dropped and there not as popular these days. I’m planning to obtain a female this season.

[@toufict7925]

Hi Ben. Can you tell us about the difference between the Lanner and the Barbary Falcon or Red-Naped Shaheen? I know they are different species and there is some size difference, but what is the species categorization based on? Is it DNA or just different hunting habits, etc. Their ranges seem to overlap. Thanks!

[@benwoodrufffalconry]

That would actually make a good video. Especially if I threw Taita Falcons in there too. Let me see about making that.

[@ThomasWeiskirch]

Wunderschön!

[@randyclark7540]

Can you talk about Swanson, or is it Swason. I have heard it both ways. I live in North West TN., and I believe one, or maybe even two have shown up on my property. I reached out to the local state park for information but they never got back to me. That was Reelfoot State Park.

[@keerthivasannambiraju955]

swainson hawk

[@dericfranks8499]

Great videos like always Ben. So i am curious, Can you hunt a prairie or lanner from the fist like a goshawk on Ducks? I live in North central Arkansas. We have lots of farm ponds that hold tons of ducks. The problem is that we have lots of hardwood forests that are most often close to these farm ponds. I am just wondering if either of these falcons can be hunted from the fist in pursuit flight Huntings. Thanks and hopefully you can give me some input.

[@benwoodrufffalconry]

You technically can, but they are still very much open area birds and don’t do well with the forests. Both do best utilizing momentum which requires space even off the fist, where accipiters want to catch as quickly off the fist as possible, and completely ignore momentum.

[@viveviveka2651]

Does anyone know of a video that captures a prairie falcon doing that last-split-second flip or sudden swerve that they do? Or a video of a gyr doing it? Do any other birds of prey do this?

[@benwoodrufffalconry]

I’ve seen it in person, but haven’t seen any videos with it. Let me look through my old stuff

[@keerthivasannambiraju955]

In central asia, Eagles and some large falcons hunt mammals but in America there is no giant falcon role. I will tell you the reason, the buteos or the soaring hawks. Buteos are found throughout the world including asia but here is the thing. In America, the buteos are more active hunters than in Asia, Europe and Africa, and there is no more graphic example of this than the ferruginous hawk, this bird has the biggest most diabolic looking beak you would find in a hawk and it has huge strong muscles in its chest. This is a bird that is built like a street fighter. In the old world buteos frequently scavenge, they can hunt too but as often they will scavenge to avoid competition with eagles and the giant falcons.

[@Mikheno]

I've seen photos of falcons that instantly made me think "That's a Prairie Falcon". Come to find out I was looking at a tiercel Saker from a bazar in Pakistan. But they looked really close. It made me wonder if our Prairies aren't really Sakers that wondered over the land bridge a few tens of thousand years ago and evolved into the western falcon we have today. As for hitting prey you're absolutely correct. Nothing hits like a Prairie.

[@keerthivasannambiraju955]

The prairie falcon is more closely related to the peregrine than the saker but it diverged from the peregrine around 5 Mya before the giant falcons and peregrines split off from each other.

[@Mikheno]

@@keerthivasannambiraju955 Interesting. To me they fly and behave more like a desert falcon than any Peregrine. I wasn't aware of their genetic background however.

[@keerthivasannambiraju955]

@@Mikheno I like to know if the peregrine had any species that diverged from it in Asia from the fossil record like the prairie falcon did in North America

[@Peregrinus8375]

Debatable

[@mato8494]

Whats the Top speed of the Prairie falcon ? :)

[@benwoodrufffalconry]

I am not sure if anyone has specifically clocked them before. So I would not know an exact number. They can stoop pretty close to a peregrine, but with softer more flexible feathers and longer tail and secondaries, they have a bit more drag than peregrines and don’t go quite as fast.

[@WSmith07]

Around 72kph or 45mph

[@mato8494]

@@WSmith07 That isnt very fast O.o i thought they‘re a lot faster when they stoop on Prey

[@nickandrei51]

How do prairie falcons learn to fly, the reason I ask is because I think I found a baby prairie falcon in my eastern Colorado property, and it couldn't fly yet, it was just walking around.

[@user-py1xj7hu7x]

Is there any falcon for sell