Falcons are birds of prey in the genus Falco, which includes about 40 species. Falcons are widely distributed on all continents of the world except Antarctica, though closely related raptors did occur there in the Eocene.
Birds of prey or predatory birds, also known as raptors, are hypercarnivorous bird species that actively hunt and feed on other vertebrates. In addition to speed and strength, these predators have keen eyesight for detecting prey from a distance or during flight, strong feet with sharp talons for grasping or killing prey, and powerful, curved beaks for tearing off flesh. Although predatory birds primarily hunt live prey, many species also scavenge and eat carrion.
The falcons and caracaras are around 65 species of diurnal birds of prey that make up the family Falconidae. The family likely originated in South America during the Paleocene and is divided into three subfamilies: Herpetotherinae, which includes the laughing falcon and forest falcons; Polyborinae, which includes the spot-winged falconet and the caracaras; and Falconinae, the falcons and kestrels (Falco) and falconets (Microhierax).
The peregrine falcon, also known simply as the peregrine, and historically as the duck hawk in North America, is a cosmopolitan bird of prey (raptor) in the family Falconidae. A large, crow-sized falcon, it has a blue-grey back, barred white underparts, and a black head. The peregrine is renowned for its speed. It can reach over 320 km/h (200 mph) during its characteristic hunting stoop, making it the fastest member of the animal kingdom. According to a National Geographic TV program, the highest measured speed of a peregrine falcon is 389 km/h (242 mph). As is typical for bird-eating (avivore) raptors, peregrine falcons are sexually dimorphic, with females being considerably larger than males.
Caracaras are birds of prey in the family Falconidae. They are traditionally placed in subfamily Polyborinae with the forest falcons, but are sometimes considered to constitute their own subfamily, Caracarinae, or classified as members of the true falcon subfamily, Falconinae. Caracaras are principally birds of South and Central America, just reaching the southern United States.
The Guadalupe caracara or mourning caracara is an extinct bird of prey belonging to the falcon family (Falconidae). It was, together with the closely related crested caracara, formerly placed in the genus Polyborus. It was also known as the quelili or the calalie.
The yellow-headed caracara is new-world bird of prey in the family Falconidae, of the Falconiformes order. It is found as far north as Nicaragua, south to Costa Rica and Panamá, every mainland South American country, and on the Caribbean islands of Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, and Trinidad and Tobago.
The crested caracara, also known as the Mexican eagle, is a bird of prey in the falcon family, Falconidae. It is found from the southern and southeastern United States through Mexico and Central and South America, as well as some Caribbean islands. Documented rare sightings have occurred as far north as northern Minnesota and as far south as Tierra del Fuego.
The black caracara is a species of bird of prey in the family Falconidae found in Amazonian and French Guianan lowlands, occurring commonly along rivers. They are locally referred to as Ger' futu busikaka in the Republic of Suriname, and juápipi {nẽjõmbʌ} by the Emberá of Panamá and Colombia. However, both of these names refer to multiple bird species within the Falconidae. German-Brazilian ornithologist Helmut Sick also referred to this species as gavião-de-anta, literally translating to "tapir-hawk".
The chimango caracara also known as chimango or tiuque is a species of bird of prey in the family Falconidae, the falcons and caracaras. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay, as a vagrant on the Falkland Islands and has been introduced on Rapa Nui.
The carunculated caracara is a species of bird of prey in the family Falconidae, the falcons and caracaras. It is found in Colombia and Ecuador.
The mountain caracara, is a species of bird of prey in the family Falconidae. It is found in puna and páramo in the Andes, ranging from northern Ecuador, through Peru and Bolivia, to northern Argentina and Chile. It is generally uncommon to fairly common. It resembles the closely related Carunculated Caracara and White-throated Caracara, but unlike those species, its chest is uniform black. Juveniles are far less distinctive than the red-faced pied adults, being overall brown with dull pinkish-grey facial skin.
The Jamaican caracara is a prehistoric species of terrestrial bird in the falcon family, Falconidae. It was native to the island of Jamaica in the Caribbean, where it probably inhabited dry forests in the island's south during the early Holocene. This species was described based on fossils discovered in the Skeleton Cave in the Jackson's Bay Cave system on the south coast of Portland Ridge.
The gyrfalcon, the largest of the falcon species, is a bird of prey. The abbreviation gyr is also used. It breeds on Arctic coasts and tundra, and the islands of northern North America and the Eurosiberian region. It is mainly a resident there also, but some gyrfalcons disperse more widely after the breeding season, or in winter. Individual vagrancy can take birds for long distances. Its plumage varies with location, with birds being coloured from all-white to dark brown. These colour variations are called morphs. Like other falcons, it shows sexual dimorphism, with the female much larger than the male. For centuries, the gyrfalcon has been valued as a hunting bird. Typical prey includes the ptarmigan and waterfowl, which it may take in flight; it also takes fish and mammals.
The Bahaman caracara, also known as Creighton's caracara, is an extinct bird of prey. It is known only from a few fossils discovered in the Bahamas and Cuba. Caracara creightoni was a scavenger and opportunistic species instead of a predator like its sister extant species. It lived during the late Pleistocene to the beginning of the Holocene era.
Hawkwatching is a mainly citizen science activity where experienced volunteers count migratory raptors in an effort to survey migratory numbers. Groups of hawkwatchers often congregate along well-known migratory routes such as mountain ridges, coastlines and land bridges, where raptors ride on updrafts created by the topography. Hawkwatches are often formally or informally organized by non-profit organizations such as an Audubon chapter, state park, wildlife refuge or other important birding area. Some hawkwatches remain independent of any organizing structure.
The Cuban kestrel was a species of small falcon in the family Falconidae that was formerly endemic to the island of Cuba. It was described from fossil remains from late Quaternary deposits from several sites throughout the island.
Thegornis is an extinct genus of herpetotherine falconid that lived during the Miocene of South America. The genus was erected by Florentino Ameghino in 1895 based on two species, T. musculosus and T. debilis. However, T. debilis was later suggested to be an invalid species, with the differences between it and T. musculosus being due to sexual dimorphism. Two additional species, T. spivacowi and T. sosae, were subsequently named in later years by Federico Agnolín. Its skull and postcranial morphology are similar to the laughing falcon and forest falcon, which together form the clade Herpetotherinae. The seriema Noriegavis's holotype was transferred to this genus and the well-preserved specimen described in 2015 attributed to Noriegavis has been classified into Miocariama.
