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- Falconinae is a subfamily of falconid birds of prey that includes 44 species in three genera. It includes Microhierax (the typical falconets), Polihierax (the pygmy falcons), and Falco (the falcons).
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falconinae
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Falconids can be found in most terrestrial habitats throughout the world, but the greatest diversity of falconids is found in South America and Africa. All falconids are able hunters that can take a variety of prey, including insects, birds, mammals, herpetiles and carrion.
Jul 12, 2023 · A falcon is any species of raptor in the genus Falco. The word comes from their Latin name falco, related to Latin falx (“sickle”) because of the shape of these birds’ wings. The 37 species are widely distributed throughout Europe, Asia, and North America
Taxonomy and systematics. The family Falconidae was introduced by the English zoologist William Elford Leach in a guide to the contents of the British Museum published in 1819. [6][7] The family is composed of three main branches: the falconets and true falcons, the caracaras, and the forest falcons.
- Evolution and Systematics
- Physical Characteristics
- Distribution
- Habitat
- Behavior
- Feeding Ecology and Diet
- Reproductive Biology
- Conservation Status
- Significance to Humans
- Species Accounts
The relationship of falconids to other birds has long been unclear. Their similarity to the accipitrids (family Accipitridae, hawks and eagles) is obvious, and it has been suggested that they have morphological and anatomical links with the owls. Yet molecular evidence suggests that in both cases the resemblance is convergent; that they have evolve...
Falconids are readily recognizable as birds of prey and are likely to be confused only with the other family of diurnal raptors, the Accipitridae. Both have a fleshy cere atop a strong hooked beak, and a strong hallux (hind toe) that opposes three forward toes. Both families capture animals with their feet and, unlike most bird species, females are...
Except for the Antarctic and parts of the far high Arctic, the falcons alone are distributed worldwide. The remaining Falconinae, the falconets, are mainly tropical Spiziapteryx (1 South American species), Polihierax (1 African species; 1 Indian), and Microhierax(5 Asian species). All 16 species of Polyborinae are neotropical, mainly South American...
As a group, the falconids occur in most major habitats around the world. They reach their greatest diversity near the tropics and only two species are found in the high Arctic (gyrfalcon F. rusticolis, peregrine falcon). Many species are quite adaptable and for them the structure of the habitat is more important than its individual components. For ...
Typically, falconids are active by day, but several species hunt crepuscularly. For example, the Eurasian hobby (F. sub-buteo) chases moths after dusk, and peregrine falcons hunt shearwaters as they return to their holes well after dark. At night they usually roost at a regular roost, sheltered from the prevailing elements and safe from predators. ...
Feeding ecology is a better-known aspect of falconoid ecology, mainly because they eat large prey and produce pellets (wads of indigestible parts of the prey—fur, feathers, scales, bone—that are regurgitated once a day or so) that can be analyzed for the prey they contain. Pellets build up under nests and roosts and make interesting study. Falconid...
Most falconids breed once a year in a traditional breeding territory. Territories range from a few square yards (meters) for colonial species like the lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni) and Eleanora's falcon, to 400 mi2 (1,000 m2) for the solitary nesting gyrfalcon. Spacing between pairs depends on food and nest availability. Typically falconids are m...
Falcons and caracaras have a long history of persecution for their perceived impact on livestock. Particularly in the 1960s and 1970s, organochlorine pesticides (DDT, dieldrin, and others) had a very real impact on eggshell thickness and the mortality of some species, leading to massive population declines. Yet the group's remarkable resilience is ...
Falconids have had a long association with people, and tend to elicit a strong response as friend or foe. They are much admired for their hunting prowess, flying skills, and keen sight, and appear as icons and in the legends and folklore of many cultures. In ancient Egypt, Horus the falcon god was ubiquitous, and as a hieroglyph, Horus represented ...
Crested caracara
Polyborus plancus
Laughing falcon
Herpetotheres cachinnans
Plumbeous forest falcon
Micrastur plumbeus
Jul 1, 2004 · Abstract. We sequenced 2800+ bp of the RAG-1 exon for representatives of all the currently recognized genera in the avian family Falconidae. A phylogenetic analysis of these data was compared to prior analyses of mitochondrial (cytochrome- b) and morphological (syringeal) data.
Falcons (/ ˈ f ɒ l k ən, ˈ f ɔː l-, ˈ f æ l-/) are birds of prey in the genus Falco, which includes about 40 species. Some small species of falcons with long, narrow wings are called hobbies , [ 7 ] and some that hover while hunting are called kestrels .
