Thank you for taking our quiz! Check out the answers below to see if you picked the right pairs. 

As you can see, nature is a bit complicated, and never black and white. And while birds having long-term mates, or even mating for life, may sound romantic, there are real evolutionary reasons why they pair up and stay paired—and why they sometimes split up. It may be to increase the chances of the survival of offspring, or to share “parenting” duties with a familiar mate. 

• Bald Eagle: Yes! 
  Bald Eagles are one of the few birds of prey species who generally mate for life. Bald Eagles typically pair up around 4-5 years of age, and if possible, return to the same nest year after year. They can live up to 40 years in the wild, but if a mate dies, will typically seek out another. 

• California Condor: It’s complicated! 
  California Condors begin mating at 6-7 years of age. They often form long-term bonds with one mate, but it’s not uncommon for extra-pair copulation to occur. As one of our experts put it, “California Condors have long-term mates, until they don’t.”

• American Kestrel: It’s complicated! 
  Some kestrel pairs have been observed raising offspring together for multiple years in a row, but this appears to be related to nesting success. Pairs who successfully fledge young are more likely to breed together again, while those that experience nest failure frequently find new mates for their next breeding attempts.

• Peregrine Falcon: Yes! 
  Peregrine Falcons have been known to form long-term pairs and return to the same nesting sites year after year.

• Snail Kite: No!
  Snail Kites typically have only one mate at a time, but they do not generally mate long-term. In some instances, one parent will find a new mate before the young from the first nest have even fledged. 

We hope you enjoyed the quiz. Stay tuned for more from The Peregrine Fund about our work to protect and conserve birds of prey around the world!