It prefers mountains, sea cliffs and uplands. The American kestrel Falco sparverius is smaller than the peregrine falcon at onlu 9-12 inches tall. It feeds on insects and small snakes and lizards, swoooping down to the ground to catch its prey. American kestrels have brighter colored plumages than most other falcons. The merlin Falco columbarius is a small, fierce, large-eyed falcon capable of fast flight.
Merlins live across North America and Eurasia, inhabiting moorland, grassland and marshes.
They prefer flat country, catching small birds in flight as their preferred food, using their excellent eyesight to locate their prey. Merlins will also swoop down and take small mammals like mice and voles. The secretary bird Sagittarius serpentarius is unique among birds of prey. It has adapted so well for a life of hunting on the ground that it rarely flies. Characterized by its long legs and long tail feathers that provide balance, the secretary bird is only found on the grassland and open spaces of central and southern Africa.