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This is a list of Falconiformes species by global population. While members of Falconiformes were once classified with the hawks, eagles, vultures, and kites of order Accipitriformes, recent genetic analysis indicates they are not close relatives of these birds. [1] [2] Version 15.1 of the IOC World Bird List describes 65 species within Falconiformes, two of which are extinct. [3] As of December 2025, BirdLife International has assessed 64 of these species (excepting rock kestrel). While not all of these species have had their populations quantified, species without estimates are also listed below in a separate table.
While numbers are estimates, they have been made by the experts in their fields. For more information on how these estimates were ascertained, see Wikipedia's articles on population biology and population ecology.
There are two species listed as members of Falconiformes which are extinct. They are as follows:
| Common name | Binomial name | Population | Status | Trend | Notes | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mauritius kestrel | Falco punctatus | 140-170 [6] | EN [6] | | ||
| Taita falcon | Falco fasciinucha | 500-1,000 [7] | VU [7] | | ||
| Grey falcon | Falco hypoleucos | 500-10,000 [8] | VU [8] | Best estimate for population size is 1,000 mature individuals. [8] | | |
| Banded kestrel | Falco zoniventris | 670-6,700* [9] | LC [10] | *Values provided are from the 2016 IUCN assessment. A more recent assessment from 2025 lists the total population as Unknown. [10] | | |
| Philippine falconet | Microhierax erythrogenys | 670-6,700* [11] | LC [12] | *Values provided are from the 2016 IUCN assessment. A more recent assessment from 2025 lists the total population as Unknown. [12] | | |
| Pied falconet | Microhierax melanoleucos | 670-6,700* [13] | LC [14] | *Values provided are from the 2016 IUCN assessment. A more recent assessment from 2025 lists the total population as Unknown. [14] | | |
| White-throated caracara | Phalcoboenus albogularis | 670–6,700* [15] | LC [16] | *The population size has not been quantified. Values provided are from 2016 IUCN assessment. A more recent assessment from 2023 lists the total population as Unknown. [16] | | |
| Black caracara | Daptrius ater | 670-6,700* [17] | LC [18] | *The population size has not been quantified. Values provided are from 2016 IUCN assessment. A more recent assessment from 2023 lists the total population as Unknown. [18] | | |
| Carunculated caracara | Phalcoboenus carunculatus | 670-6,700* [19] | LC [20] | *The population size has not been quantified. Values provided are from 2016 IUCN assessment. A more recent assessment from 2023 lists the total population as Unknown. [20] | | |
| Black falcon | Falco subniger | 670-6,700 [21] | LC [21] | | ||
| Seychelles kestrel | Falco araeus | 700-900 [22] | VU [22] | Minimum estimate. [22] | | |
| Oriental hobby | Falco severus | 1,000-10,000 [23] | LC [23] | The current population size is considered unknown; values provided are a preliminary estimate which is likely too low. [23] | | |
| Striated caracara | Phalcoboenus australis | 2,500-5,000 [24] | NT [24] | | ||
| Sooty falcon | Falco concolor | 2,800-4,000 [25] | VU [25] | | ||
| Plumbeous forest falcon | Micrastur plumbeus | 3,600-5,000 [26] | VU [26] | Population estimation assumes species density across its range is the same as have been observed in Colombia (1 individual/km²). [26] | ||
| New Zealand falcon | Falco novaeseelandiae | 5,000-15,000 [27] | LC [27] | | ||
| Orange-breasted falcon | Falco deiroleucus | 5,000-25,000 [28] | NT [28] | | ||
| Fox kestrel | Falco alopex | 6,700-67,000 [29] | LC [29] | | ||
| African hobby | Falco cuvierii | >10,000 [30] | LC [30] | IUCN does not estimate a population, but does mention a previous population estimate from 2001 – "larger than 10,000 individuals." [30] | | |
| White-fronted falconet | Microhierax latifrons | 10,000-19,999 [31] | NT [31] | | ||
| Laggar falcon | Falco jugger | 10,000-19,999 [32] | NT [32] | | ||
| White-rumped pygmy falcon (White-rumped falcon) | Neohierax insignis | 10,000-19,999* [33] | NT [34] | *The population size has not been quantified. Values provided are from 2017 IUCN assessment. A more recent assessment from 2024 lists the total population as Unknown. [34] | | |
| Collared falconet | Microhierax caerulescens | 10,000-99,999 [35] | LC [35] | IUCN assessment does not provide a direct estimate, but says, "population is estimated to number in the tens of thousands." [35] | | |
| Black-thighed falconet | Microhierax fringillarius | 10,000-99,999 [36] | LC [36] | IUCN assessment does not provide a direct estimate, but says, "population is estimated to number in the tens of thousands." [36] | | |
| Spotted kestrel | Falco moluccensis | 10,000-99,999 [37] | LC [37] | IUCN assessment does not provide a direct estimate, but says, "population is estimated to number in the tens of thousands." [37] | | |
| Saker falcon | Falco cherrug | 12,200-29,800 [38] | EN [38] | | ||
| Gyrfalcon | Falco rusticolus | 12,600-55,300 [39] | LC [39] | | ||
| Eleonora's falcon | Falco eleonorae | 32,400-33,300 [40] | LC [40] | | ||
| Slaty-backed forest falcon | Micrastur mirandollei | 50,000-499,999 [41] | LC [41] | | ||
| Lanner falcon | Falco biarmicus | 67,000-670,000 [42] | LC [42] | | ||
| Lesser kestrel | Falco naumanni | 80,000-134,000 [43] | LC [43] | | ||
| Peregrine falcon | Falco peregrinus | 100,000-499,999 [44] | LC [44] | | ||
| Prairie falcon | Falco mexicanus | 110,000 [45] | LC [45] | | ||
| Amur falcon | Falco amurensis | 200,000-667,000 [46] | LC [46] | | ||
| Merlin | Falco columbarius | 250,000-3,200,000 [47] | LC [47] | | ||
| Red-footed falcon | Falco vespertinus | 287,500-400,000 [48] | VU [48] | | ||
| Bat falcon | Falco rufigularis | 500,000-4,999,999 [49] | LC [49] | | ||
| Barred forest falcon | Micrastur ruficollis | 500,000-4,999,999 [50] | LC [50] | | ||
| Collared forest falcon | Micrastur semitorquatus | 500,000-4,999,999 [51] | LC [51] | | ||
| Laughing falcon | Herpetotheres cachinnans | 500,000-4,999,999 [52] | LC [52] | | ||
| Red-throated caracara | Ibycter americanus | 500,000-4,999,999 [53] | LC [53] | | ||
| Eurasian hobby | Falco subbuteo | 900,000-1,500,000 [54] | LC [54] | | ||
| Cryptic forest falcon | Micrastur mintoni | 1,000,000-2,499,999 [55] | NT [55] | | ||
| Crested caracara | Caracara plancus | 2,500,000-4,999,999 [56] | LC [56] | | ||
| Common kestrel | Falco tinnunculus | 4,300,000-6,700,000 [57] | LC [57] | Note that the IUCN has not recognized the split of the Rock kestrel from this species. [57] | | |
| Yellow-headed caracara | Milvago chimachima | 5,000,000-49,999,999 [58] | LC [58] | | ||
| American kestrel | Falco sparverius | 9,200,000 [59] | LC [59] | | ||
| Common name | Binomial name | Population | Status | Trend | Notes | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spot-winged falconet | Spiziapteryx circumcincta | unknown [60] | LC [60] | | ||
| Chimango caracara | Daptrius chimango | unknown [61] | LC [61] | Population is expected to be increasing due to this species' affinity for human settlements, especially feeding from garbage dumps. [61] | | |
| Mountain caracara | Daptrius megalopterus | unknown [62] | LC [62] | | ||
| Lined forest falcon | Micrastur gilvicollis | unknown [63] | LC [63] | | ||
| Buckley's forest falcon | Micrastur buckleyi | unknown [64] | LC [64] | |||
| African pygmy-falcon (Pygmy falcon) | Polihierax semitorquatus | unknown [65] | LC [65] | | ||
| Malagasy kestrel | Falco newtoni | unknown [66] | LC [66] | | ||
| Nankeen kestrel | Falco cenchroides | unknown [67] | LC [67] | | ||
| Greater kestrel | Falco rupicoloides | unknown [68] | LC [68] | | ||
| Dickinson's kestrel | Falco dickinsoni | unknown [69] | LC [69] | | ||
| Red-necked falcon | Falco ruficollis | unknown [70] | LC [70] | | ||
| Aplomado falcon | Falco femoralis | unknown [71] | LC [71] | | ||
| Australian hobby | Falco longipennis | unknown [72] | LC [72] | | ||
| Brown falcon | Falco berigora | unknown [73] | LC [73] | |