Eleonora's falcon (Falco eleonorae) The elegant and fierce Eleonora's falcon is a scarce species that nests in colonies on remote cliffs. Although it nests in an isolated habitat, Eleonora's falcon is well positioned to catch its prey — it feeds mainly on small birds that are migrating over the Mediterranean from Europe to Africa. Much of its prey is caught over the open sea, but it also hunts around marshes, lagoons and over open ground with scattered trees and bushes — where migrating birds stop to rest. The hunting ground is rarely far from its nest. Eleonora's falcons are mainly active at dusk, dawn and night, and sometimes hunt in groups. They also eat insects, but usually only outside the breeding season. Large flocks of these birds sometimes gather to feed when insects are swarming.