Individuals of this small falcon are usually seen sitting high on telephone wires or poles, isolated tree tops or other vantage points over open fields, vegetated suburban areas, grasslands and desert. Adults frequently hover in the air and dive to capture large insects, small rodents, birds and occasionally lizards from the ground. They also sometimes capture flying insects from the air. The nest is in a tree cavity, abandoned woodpecker hole in saguaro cactus or large nest boxes when available.
The four-digit banding code is AMKE.
