Falcons
Brown Falcon Falco berigora
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Falconiformes Family: Falconidae Genus: Falco Linnaeus, 1758
Species
About 37; see text. Look up falcon in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The Tercel was Toyotas entry-level vehicle in North America during the 1980s and 1990s. ... Binomial name Falco berigora Vigors & Horsfield, 1827 The Brown Falcon, Falco berigora, is different from other falcons in that it has broader wings and longer legs. ... Scientific classification redirects here. ... For other uses, see Animal (disambiguation). ... Typical Classes Subphylum Urochordata - Tunicates Ascidiacea Thaliacea Larvacea Subphylum Cephalochordata - Lancelets Subphylum Myxini - Hagfishes Subphylum Vertebrata - Vertebrates Petromyzontida - Lampreys Placodermi (extinct) Chondrichthyes - Cartilaginous fishes Acanthodii (extinct) Actinopterygii - Ray-finned fishes Actinistia - Coelacanths Dipnoi - Lungfishes Amphibia - Amphibians Reptilia - Reptiles Aves - Birds Mammalia - Mammals Chordates (phylum Chordata) include the vertebrates, together with... For other meanings of bird, see bird (disambiguation). ... Families Accipitridae Pandionidae Falconidae Sagittariidae The order Falconiformes is a group of about 290 species of birds that include the diurnal birds of prey. ... Genera Daptrius Phalcoboenus Polyborus Milvago Herpetotheres Micrastur Spiziapteryx Polihierax Microhierax Falco The family Falconidae includes about 60 species of diurnal birds of prey, notably the falcons and caracaras. ... Carl Linnaeus, Latinized as Carolus Linnaeus, also known after his ennoblement as  , (May 13, 1707[1] – January 10, 1778), was a Swedish botanist, physician and zoologist[2] who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of nomenclature. ...
Synonyms
Aesalon Lithofalco Tinnunculus Linnaeus, 1766 Hierofalco Cuvier, 1817 Cerchneis Boie, 1826 Hypotriorchis Boie, 1826 Rhynchodon Nitzsch, 1829 Ieracidea Gould, 1838 Hieracidea Strickland, 1841 (unjustified emendation)[verification needed] Gennaia Kaup, 1847 Jerafalco Kaup, 1850 (unjustified emendation) Harpe Bonaparte, 1855 (non Lacepède 1802[verification needed]: preoccupied) Dissodectes Sclater, 1864 Genaïe Heuglin, 1867 (unjustified emendation)[verification needed] Harpa Sharpe, 1874 (non Pallas 1774: preoccupied) Gennadas Heine & Reichenow, 1890[verification needed] (unjustified emendation)[verification needed] Nesierax Oberholser, 1899 Nesihierax Dubois, 1902 (unjustified emendation) Asturaetus De Vis, 1906 (non Asturaetos Brehm 1855: preoccupied) Plioaetus Richmond, 1908 Sushkinia Tugarinov, 1935 (non Martynov 1930: preoccupied) - see below

A falcon (fɔlkən or fælkən) 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. In scientific nomenclature, synonyms are different scientific names used for a single taxon. ... Frédéric Cuvier (June 28, 1773 - July 24, 1838) was a French zoologist. ... John Gould John Gould (14 September 1804 – 3 February 1881) was an English ornithologist. ... Hugh Edwin Strickland (March 2, 1811 - September 14, 1853), was an English geologist, ornithologist and systemist. ... Johann Jakob Kaup. ... Johann Jakob Kaup. ... Year 1855 (MDCCCLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Species See text. ... Philip Lutley Sclater (November 4, 1829 - June 27, 1913) was an English lawyer and zoologist. ... Theodor von Heuglin (March 20, 1824 - November 5, 1876), was a German explorer and ornithologist. ... Richard Bowdler Sharpe (November 22, 1847 - December 25, 1909) was an English zoologist. ... Anton Reichenow (1847 - 1941) was a German ornithologist. ... Harry Church Oberholser (June 25, 1870-December 25, 1963) was an American ornithologist. ... Year 1902 (MCMII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday [1] of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Charles Walter De Vis (Birmingham, England, May 9, 1829 — Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, April 30, 1915), known as Devis before about 1882, was an English zoologist and ornithologist. ... Charles Wallace Richmond (December 31, 1868 - May 19, 1932) was an American ornithologist. ... For other uses, see Species (disambiguation). ... Orders Accipitriformes     Cathartidae     Pandionidae     Accipitridae     Sagittariidae Falconiformes     Falconidae A bird of prey or raptor is a bird that hunts its food, especially one that preys on mammals or other birds. ... For other uses, see Genus (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Latins and Latin (disambiguation). ... A typical falx Falx is a latin word originally meaning sickle, but was later used to mean any of a number of tools that had a curved blade that was sharp on the inside edge such as a scythe. ... Sickle Sickle A sickle is a curved, hand-held agricultural tool typically used for harvesting grain crop or cutting grass for hay. ...

Overview

Most members of the genus Falco show a tooth on the upper mandible

Adult falcons have thin tapered wings, which enable them to fly at high speed and to change direction rapidly. Fledgling falcons, in their first year of flying, have longer flight feathers which makes their configuration more like that of a general-purpose bird such as a broadwing. This is to make it easier for them to fly while learning the exceptional skills required to be effective hunters in their adult configuration. A falcon's wings are shaped like a scythe. Although common misconceptions of the difference of a scythe and sickle are the cause of the misconception of the shape of the falcons wings. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Red Kite (Milvus milvus) in flight, showing remiges and rectrices Flight feathers are the long, stiff, asymmetrically shaped, but symmetrically paired feathers on the wings or tail of a bird; those on the wings are called remiges (singular remex) while those on the tail are called rectrices (singular rectrix). ... Broadwing is a falconers term for a bird of prey of the buzzard or eagle type with long wings with long flight feathers (whereas a falcon has long wings with shortish flight feathers). ... A traditional wooden scythe A scythe (IPA: , most likely from Old English siðe, sigði) is an agricultural hand tool for mowing and reaping grass or crops. ... A traditional wooden scythe A scythe (IPA: , most likely from Old English siðe, sigði) is an agricultural hand tool for mowing and reaping grass or crops. ... Sickle Sickle A sickle is a curved, hand-held agricultural tool typically used for harvesting grain crop or cutting grass for hay. ...

Peregrine Falcons are the fastest-moving creatures on Earth.^{[citation needed]} Other falcons include the Gyrfalcon, Lanner Falcon, and the Merlin. Some small insectivorous falcons with long narrow wings are called hobbies, and some which hover while hunting for small rodents are called kestrels. The falcons are part of the family Falconidae, which also includes the caracaras, Laughing Falcon, forest falcons, and falconets. Binomial name Tunstall, 1771 Global range Yellow: Breeding summer visitor Green: Breeding resident Blue: Winter visitor Light blue: Passage visitor Subspecies 17-19, see text Synonyms Falco atriceps Hume Falco kreyenborgi Kleinschmidt, 1929 Falco pelegrinoides madens Ripley & Watson, 1963 Rhynchodon peregrinus (Tunstall, 1771) and see text The Peregrine Falcon (Falco... For other uses, see Gyrfalcon (disambiguation). ... Binomial name Falco biarmicus Temminck, 1825 The Lanner Falcon (Falco biarmicus) is a large bird of prey that breeds in Africa, southeast Europe and just into Asia. ... Binomial name Linnaeus, 1758 Subspecies 3-9, see text. ... Any organism with a diet that consists chiefly of insects and similar small creatures is an insectivore. ... A hobby is a fairly small, very swift falcon with long, narrow wings. ... Suborders Sciuromorpha Castorimorpha Myomorpha Anomaluromorpha Hystricomorpha Rodentia is an order of mammals also known as rodents, characterised by two continuously-growing incisors in the upper and lower jaws which must be kept short by gnawing. ... Species See text The name kestrel is given to several different members of the falcon genus, Falco. ... Genera Daptrius Phalcoboenus Polyborus Milvago Herpetotheres Micrastur Spiziapteryx Polihierax Microhierax Falco The family Falconidae includes about 60 species of diurnal birds of prey, notably the falcons and caracaras. ... Genera Daptrius Phalcoboenus Polyborus Milvago Caracaras are birds of prey in the family Falconidae. ... Binomial name Herpetotheres cachinnans (Linnaeus, 1758) The Laughing Falcon, Herpetotheres cachinnans, also called the Snake Hawk, is a medium-sized bird of prey in the falcon family, the only member of the genus Herpetotheres. ... Species 7 currently recognised: see text Forest falcons are members of the genus Micrastur, part of the family of the family Falconidae. ... For the sculptor, see Etienne Maurice Falconet. ...

The traditional term for a male falcon is tercel (UK spelling) or tiercel (US spelling), from Latin tertius = third because of the belief that only one in three eggs hatched a male bird.[3] [4] Some sources give the etymology as deriving from the fact that a male falcon is approximately one third smaller than the female. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a country in western Europe, and member of the Commonwealth of Nations, the G8, the European Union, and NATO. Usually known simply as the United Kingdom, the UK, or (inaccurately) as Great Britain or Britain, the UK has four constituent... United States may refer to: Places: United States of America SS United States, the fastest ocean liner ever built. ... This article is about the number. ...

A falcon chick, especially one reared for falconry, that is still in its downy stage is known as an eyas[5][6] (sometimes spelt eyass). The word arose by mistaken division of Old French un niais, from Latin presumed *nidiscus ("nestling", from nidus = nest). The technique of hunting with trained captive birds of prey is known as falconry. Flying a Saker Falcon A Goshawk A Hobby Falconry or hawking is an art or sport which involves the use of trained raptors (birds of prey) to hunt or pursue game for humans. ... Old French was the Romance dialect continuum spoken in territories corresponding roughly to the northern half of modern France and parts of modern Belgium and Switzerland from around 1000 to 1300. ... For other uses, see Nest (disambiguation). ... Flying a Saker Falcon A Goshawk A Hobby Falconry or hawking is an art or sport which involves the use of trained raptors (birds of prey) to hunt or pursue game for humans. ...

As is the case with many birds of prey, falcons are renowned for their exceptional powers of vision; one species has been found to have a visual acuity of 2.6 times that of a normal human. ^[1]

In February 2005, the Canadian ornithologist Louis Lefebvre announced a method of measuring avian intelligence in terms of their innovation in feeding habits. The falcon and crow family scored highest on this scale.^[2] For other uses, see February (disambiguation). ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Ornithology (from the Greek ornitha = chicken and logos = word/science) is the branch of biology concerned with the scientific study of birds. ...

Systematics and evolution

Compared to other birds of prey, the fossil record of the falcons is not well distributed in time. The oldest fossils tentatively assigned to this genus are from the Late Miocene, less than 10 million years ago.^{[citation needed]} This coincides with a period in which many modern genera of birds became recognizable in the fossil record. The falcon lineage may however be somewhat older than this^{[citation needed]} and given the distribution of fossil and living Falco taxa is probably of North American, African or possibly Middle Eastern or European in origin. For other uses, see Fossil (disambiguation). ... The Miocene Epoch is a period of time that extends from about 23. ... A taxon (plural taxa) is an element of a taxonomy, e. ... North American redirects here. ... A world map showing the continent of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. ... A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ...

Falcons are roughly divisible into three or four groups. The first contains the kestrels (probably excepting the American Kestrel^[3]); usually small and stocky falcons of mainly brown upperside color and sometimes sexually dimorphic; three African species that are generally grey in color stand apart from the typical members of this group. Kestrels feed chiefly on terrestrial vertebrates and invertebrates of appropriate size, such as rodents, reptiles, or insects. The name kestrel is given to several different members of the falcon genus, Falco. ... Binomial name Falco sparverius Linnaeus, 1758 The American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) is a small falcon. ... Female (left) and male Common Pheasant, illustrating the dramatic difference in form between the sexes Sexual dimorphism is the systematic difference in form between individuals of different sex in the same species. ... Terrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land, as compared with aquatic animals, which live predominantly or entirely in the water (e. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Invertebrate is a term coined by Chevalier de Lamarck to describe any animal without a backbone or vertebra, like insects, squids and worms. ... Reptilia redirects here. ...

The second group contains slightly larger (on average) and more elegant species, the hobbies and relatives. These birds are characterized by considerable amounts of dark slaty grey in their plumage; the malar area is nearly always black. They feed mainly on smaller birds. A hobby is a fairly small, very swift falcon with long, narrow wings. ...

Third are the Falcon and its relatives: powerful birds, often the size of small hawks, they also have a black malar area (except some very light color morphs), and often a black cap also. Otherwise, they are somewhat intermediate between the other groups, being chiefly medium grey with some lighter or brownish colours on the upper side. They are on average more delicately patterned than the hobbies and if the hierofalcons are excluded (see below), this group contains typically species with horizontal barring on the underside. As opposed to the other groups, where tail colour varies much in general but little according to evolutionary relatedness^[4], the tails of the large falcons are quite uniformly dark grey with rather inconspicuous black banding and small white tips, though this is probably plesiomorphic. These large Falco feed on mid-sized birds and terrestrial vertebrates, taking prey of up to 5-pound sage grouse size. For other uses, see Hawk (disambiguation). ... A Morph, meaning form (from the Latin morpha), is a zoological term that descibes local populations or subpopulations of a single species of animal that may or may not be phenotypically distinct from the larger population as a whole. ... This article is about evolution in biology. ... This cladogram shows the relationship among various insect groups. ... Species Centrocercus urophasianus, (Bonaparte, 1827) Centrocercus minimus, (Young et. ...

Very similar to these and sometimes included therein are the 4 or so species of hierofalcons (literally, "hawk-falcons"). They represent taxa with usually more phaeomelanins which impart reddish or brown colors, and generally more strongly patterned plumage reminiscent of hawks. Notably, their undersides have a lengthwise pattern of blotches, lines or arrowhead marks. Species Falco biarmicus Falco cherrug Falco jugger Falco rusticolus Synonyms Jerafalco Kaup, 1850 (unjustified emendation) Falco hierofalco (see text) The hierofalcons (literally, hawk-falcons) are four closely related species of falcon which make up the subgenus Hierofalco: Lanner Falcon, Falco biarmicus Laggar Falcon, Falco jugger Saker Falcon, Falco cherrug Gyrfalcon... Melanin is a polymer of either or both of two monomer molecules: indolequinone, and dihydroxyindole carboxylic acid. ... For other uses, see Hawk (disambiguation). ...

While these three or four groups, loosely circumscribed, are an informal arrangement, they probably contain several distinct clades in their entirety. A study of mtDNA cytochrome b sequence data of some kestrels (Groombridge et al. 2002) identified a clade containing the Common Kestrel and related "malar-striped" species, to the exclusion of such taxa as the Greater Kestrel (which lacks a malar stripe), the Lesser Kestrel (which is very similar to the Common but also has no malar stripe), and the American Kestrel. The latter species has a malar stripe, but its color pattern - apart from the brownish back - and notably also the black feathers behind the ear, which never occur in the true kestrels, are more reminiscent of some hobbies. The malar-striped kestrels apparently split from their relatives in the Gelasian, roughly 2.5-2 mya, and are apparently of tropical East African origin. The entire "true kestrel" group - excluding the American species - is probably a distinct and quite young clade, as also suggested by their numerous apomorphies. A clade is a term belonging to the discipline of cladistics. ... Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is DNA which is not located in the nucleus of the cell but in the mitochondria. ... CoQ Cytochrome c reductase The Coenzyme Q - cytochrome c reductase complex, sometimes called the cytochrome bc1 complex, and at other times Complex III, is the third complex in the electron transfer chain (PDB 1KYO, EC 1. ... part of a DNA sequence A DNA sequence (sometimes genetic sequence) is a succession of letters representing the primary structure of a real or hypothetical DNA molecule or strand, The possible letters are A, C, G, and T, representing the four nucleotide subunits of a DNA strand (adenine, cytosine, guanine... There are several meanings for malar: Tamil for flower Latin for cheek Malar (Forgotten Realms), a deity in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting of Dungeons & Dragons Mälaren, also know as Lake Malar malar rash, a disease sign zygomatic bone, also known as malar bone Category: ... In the geologic timescale, Gelasian is an ICS stage, part of the Pliocene epoch of the Neogene period. ... For other uses of mya, see mya (disambiguation). ... A clade is a term belonging to the discipline of cladistics. ... This cladogram shows the relationship among various insect groups. ...

Other studies^[5] have confirmed that the hierofalcons are a monophyletic group - and, incidentally, that hybridization is quite frequent at least in the larger species falcon species. Initial studies of mtDNA cytochrome b sequence data suggested that the hierofalcons are basal among living falcons^[6]. This is now known to be an erroneous result due to the presence of a numt (Wink & Sauer-Gürth 2000); in reality the hierofalcons are a rather young group, originating maybe at the same time as the start of the main kestrel radiaton, about 2 million years ago. This lineage seems to have gone nearly extinct at some point in the past; the present diversity is of very recent origin, though little is known about their fossil history (Nittinger et al. 2005, Johnson et al. 2007). In phylogenetics, a group is monophyletic (Greek: of one stem) if all organisms in that group are known to have developed from a common ancestral form, and all descendants of that form are included in the group. ... In genetics, hybridisation is the process of mixing different species or varieties of organisms. ... Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is DNA which is not located in the nucleus of the cell but in the mitochondria. ... CoQ Cytochrome c reductase The Coenzyme Q - cytochrome c reductase complex, sometimes called the cytochrome bc1 complex, and at other times Complex III, is the third complex in the electron transfer chain (PDB 1KYO, EC 1. ... In phylogenetics, basal members of a group diverged earlier than a subgroup of others (or vice versa). ... Numt (pronounced “new might”) is an abbreviated term for “nuclear mitochondrial DNA”, which describes any transfer or “transposition” of cytoplasmic mitochondrial DNA sequences into the separate nuclear genome of a eukaryotic organism. ...

The phylogeny and delimitations of the Peregrine and hobbies groups is more problematic. Molecular studies have only been conducted on a few species, and namely the morphologically ambiguous taxa have often been little researched. The morphology of the syrinx, which contributes well to resolving the overall phylogeny of the Falconidae^[7], is not very informative in the present genus. Nonetheless, a core group containing the Peregrine and Barbary falcons which in turn group with the hierofalcons and the more distant Prairie Falcon (which was sometimes placed with the hierofalcons, even though it is entirely distinct biogeographically), as well as at least most of the "typical" hobbies, are confirmed to be monophyletic as suspected^[8]. The term morphology in biology refers to the outward appearance (shape, structure, colour, pattern) of an organism or taxon and its component parts. ... According to Bulfinchs Mythology, Syrinx (Greek Συριγξ) was a nymph and a follower of Artemis, known for her chastity. ... In biology, phylogenetics (Greek: phylon = tribe, race and genetikos = relative to birth, from genesis = birth) is the study of evolutionary relatedness among various groups of organisms (e. ... Genera Daptrius Phalcoboenus Polyborus Milvago Herpetotheres Micrastur Spiziapteryx Polihierax Microhierax Falco The family Falconidae includes about 60 species of diurnal birds of prey, notably the falcons and caracaras. ... Biogeography is the science which deals with questions of the distribution of species usually at regional to continental scales. ... In phylogenetics, a group is monophyletic (Greek: of one stem) if all organisms in that group are known to have developed from a common ancestral form, and all descendants of that form are included in the group. ...

Given that the American Falcos of today belong to the Peregrine group or are apparently more basal species, it seems that the initially most successful evolutionary radiation was an Holarctic one that originated possibly around central Eurasia or in (northern) Africa. One or several lineages were present in North America by the Early Pliocene at latest. This article is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... The Holarctic is a term used by zoologists to define the ecozone covering much of Eurasia and North America, which have often been connected by the Bering land bridge. ... In the geologic time scale, the Zanclean (also known as Tabianian, Dacian) is a stage which makes up the Early Pliocene or Lower Pliocene subepoch. ...

In conclusion, the origin of today's major Falco groups - the "typical" hobbies and kestrels for example, or the Peregine-hierofalcon complex, or the Aplomado Falcon lineage - can be quite confidently placed from the Miocene-Pliocene boundary through the Zanclean and Piacenzian and just into the Gelasian, that is from about 8 to 2.4 million years ago, when the malar-striped kestrels diversified. Some groups of falcons, such as the hierofalcon complex or the Peregrine-Barbary superspecies have only evolved in more recent times; the species of the former seem to be a mere 120.000 years old or so (Nittinger et al. 2005). The Miocene Epoch is a period of time that extends from about 23. ... The Pliocene epoch (spelled Pleiocene in some older texts) is the period in the geologic timescale that extends from 5. ... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ... In the geologic timescale, Piacenzian is an ICS stage, part of the Pliocene epoch of the Neogene period. ...

Species

Mauritius Kestrel, Falco punctatus. This small falcon was nearly extinct in 1974

Common Kestrel

New Zealand Falcon, a relative of the hobbies

Saker Falcon, a typical hierofalcon

Peregrine Falcon

The sequence follows the taxonomic order of White et al. (1996), except for adjustments in the kestrel sequence. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Binomial name Falco punctatus Temminck, 1821 The Mauritius Kestrel (Falco punctatus) is a bird of prey from the family Falconidae endemic to Mauritius. ... In biology and ecology, extinction is the ceasing of existence of a species or group of species. ... Year 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. ... Download high resolution version (500x700, 145 KB)Common Kestrel. ... Download high resolution version (500x700, 145 KB)Common Kestrel. ... Binomial name Falco tinnunculus Linnaeus, 1758 The Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) is a bird of prey belonging to the falcon family Falconidae. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (581x829, 80 KB) Photo of New Zealand Falcon/Karearea in defensive pose. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (581x829, 80 KB) Photo of New Zealand Falcon/Karearea in defensive pose. ... Binomial name Falco novaeseelandiae Gmelin, 1788 The Karearea, or New Zealand Falcon, Falco novaeseelandiae, is the Maori name for the New Zealand native falcon which is sometimes erroneously referred to as a sparrowhawk. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 426 × 599 pixel Image in higher resolution (2592 × 3643 pixel, file size: 779 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Falconry Wikipedia:Picture... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 426 × 599 pixel Image in higher resolution (2592 × 3643 pixel, file size: 779 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Falconry Wikipedia:Picture... Binomial name Falco cherrug Gray, 1834 The Saker Falcon, (Falco cherrug), is a large bird of prey. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (800x983, 165 KB) Summary From the Pennsylvania Game Commission. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (800x983, 165 KB) Summary From the Pennsylvania Game Commission. ... Binomial name Tunstall, 1771 Global range Yellow: Breeding summer visitor Green: Breeding resident Blue: Winter visitor Light blue: Passage visitor Subspecies 17-19, see text Synonyms Falco atriceps Hume Falco kreyenborgi Kleinschmidt, 1929 Falco pelegrinoides madens Ripley & Watson, 1963 Rhynchodon peregrinus (Tunstall, 1771) and see text The Peregrine Falcon (Falco...

• Madagascar Kestrel, Falco newtoni
• Seychelles Kestrel, Falco araea
• Mauritius Kestrel, Falco punctatus
• Réunion Kestrel, Falco duboisi - extinct (c.1700)
• Spotted Kestrel, Falco moluccensis
• Nankeen Kestrel or Australian Kestrel, Falco cenchroides
• Common Kestrel, Falco tinnunculus
• Rock Kestrel, Falco (tinnunculus) rupicolus
• Greater Kestrel, Falco rupicoloides
• Fox Kestrel, Falco alopex
• Lesser Kestrel, Falco naumanni
• Grey Kestrel, Falco ardosiaceus
• Dickinson's Kestrel, Falco dickinsoni
• Banded Kestrel, Falco zoniventris
• Red-necked Falcon, Falco chicquera
  • African Red-necked Falcon, Falco (chicquera) ruficollis
• Red-footed Falcon, Falco vespertinus
• Amur Falcon, Falco amurensis
• Eleonora's Falcon, Falco eleonorae
• Sooty Falcon, Falco concolor
• American Kestrel or "Sparrow Hawk", Falco sparverius
• Aplomado Falcon, Falco femoralis
• (American) Merlin or "Pigeon Hawk", Falco columbarius
  • Eurasian Merlin, Falco (columbarius) aesalon
• Bat Falcon, Falco rufigularis
• Orange-breasted Falcon, Falco deiroleucus
• Eurasian Hobby, Falco subbuteo
• African Hobby, Falco cuvierii
• Oriental Hobby, Falco severus
• Australian Hobby or Little Falcon, Falco longipennis
• New Zealand Falcon, Falco novaeseelandiae
• Brown Falcon, Falco berigora
• Grey Falcon, Falco hypoleucos
• Black Falcon, Falco subniger
• Lanner Falcon, Falco biarmicus
• Laggar Falcon, Falco jugger
• Saker Falcon, Falco cherrug
  • Altai Falcon, Falco altaicus (status unclear)
• Gyrfalcon, Falco rusticolus
• Prairie Falcon, Falco mexicanus
• Peregrine Falcon or "Duck Hawk", Falco peregrinus
  • Peale's Falcon, Falco peregrinus pealei
  • Pallid Falcon, Falco peregrinus cassini var. kreyenborgi
  • Barbary Falcon, Falco (peregrinus) pelegrinoides
• Taita Falcon, Falco fasciinucha

Subspecies Falco newtoni newtoni Gurney, 1863 Falco newtoni aldabranus Grote, 1928 The Madagascar Kestrel (Falco newtoni), also known as Malagasy Spotted Kestrel, Newtons Kestrel, Madagascar Spotted Kestrel, katiti (Creole)[1] or hitikitike (Malagasy), is a small bird of prey of the genus Falco. ... Species Oberholser, 1917 Bonaparte, 1850 Gurney, 1863 Temminck, 1821 Conservation status: Vulnerable Peters, 1854 Isolated on various islands around the Indian Ocean, Kestrel populations evolved into different species, like Darwins finches. ... Binomial name Falco punctatus Temminck, 1821 The Mauritius Kestrel (Falco punctatus) is a bird of prey from the family Falconidae endemic to Mauritius. ... Binomial name Falco duboisi Cowles, 1994 The Réunion Kestrel (Falco duboisi) is an extinct bird of prey belonging to the falcon family. ... In biology and ecology, extinction is the ceasing of existence of a species or group of species. ... Events January 1 - Russia accepts Julian calendar. ... Binomial name Falco moluccenis (Bonaparte, 1850) Subspecies Falcon moluccenis moluccenis Falcon moluccenis microbalius The Spotted Kestrel (Falco moluccenis) is also known as the Moluccan Kestrel. ... Binomial name Falco cenchroides Vigors & Horsfield, 1827 The Nankeen Kestrel, Falco cenchroides, is one of the smallest falcons, and unlike many, does not rely on speed to catch its prey. ... Binomial name Falco tinnunculus Linnaeus, 1758 The Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) is a bird of prey belonging to the falcon family Falconidae. ... Binomial name Falco tinnunculus Linnaeus, 1758 Western part of range of (also occurs in Siberia farther east) Yellow = breeding only, green = all-year Subspecies About 11, see text. ... It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles accessible from a disambiguation page. ... It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles accessible from a disambiguation page. ... Binomial name Fleischer, 1818 Yellow: nesting area Blue: wintering area Dark Green: resident all year The Lesser Kestrel (Falco naumanni) is a small falcon. ... It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles accessible from a disambiguation page. ... It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles accessible from a disambiguation page. ... It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles accessible from a disambiguation page. ... Binomial name Daudin, 1800 Subspecies 1-3, see text. ... Binomial name Falco vespertinus Linnaeus, 1766 The Red-footed Falcon (Falco vespertinus) is a bird of prey. ... Binomial name Falco amurensis Radde, 1863 The Amur Falcon Falco amurensis is a small raptor of the falcon family. ... Binomial name Gene, 1839 The Eleonoras Falcon (Falco eleonorae) is a medium-sized falcon. ... Binomial name Falco concolor Temminck, 1825 The Sooty Falcon (Falco concolor ) is a medium-sized falcon. ... Binomial name Falco sparverius Linnaeus, 1758 The American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) is a small falcon. ... Binomial name Temminck, 1822 The Aplomado Falcon, Falco femoralis, is a medium-sized falcon of the Americas. ... Binomial name Linnaeus, 1758 Subspecies 3-9, see text. ... Binomial name Falco rufigularis Daudin, 1800 The Bat Falcon (Falco rufigularis) is a falcon that is a resident breeder in tropical Mexico, Central and South America and Trinidad. ... Binomial name Temminck, 1825 The Orange-breasted Falcon (Falco deiroleucus) is a bird of the falcon family. ... Binomial name Falco subbuteo Linnaeus, 1758 The Eurasian Hobby (Falco subbuteo), or just simply Hobby, is a medium-sized falcon. ... Binomial name Smith, 1830 The African Hobby (Falco cuvierii) is a species of bird of prey in the Falconidae family. ... Binomial name Falco severus Horsfield, 1821 The Oriental Hobby (Falco severus) is a species of falcons typically between 27 to 30 cm long. ... Binomial name Swainson, 1837 The Australian Hobby or Little Falcon (Falco longipenis) is a falcon found mainly in Australia. ... Binomial name Falco novaeseelandiae Gmelin, 1788 The Karearea, or New Zealand Falcon, Falco novaeseelandiae, is the Maori name for the New Zealand native falcon which is sometimes erroneously referred to as a sparrowhawk. ... Binomial name Falco berigora Vigors & Horsfield, 1827 The Brown Falcon, Falco berigora, is different from other falcons in that it has broader wings and longer legs. ... Binomial name Falco hypoleucos Gould, 1841 The Grey Falcon, Falco hypoleucos, is a rare medium-sized falcon, one of the enigmatic ‘mystery’ birds of Australia, neither easily nor predictably seen. ... Binomial name Falco subniger Gray, 1843 The Black Falcon (Falco subniger) is a medium-large falcon that lives only in Australia. ... Binomial name Falco biarmicus Temminck, 1825 The Lanner Falcon (Falco biarmicus) is a large bird of prey that breeds in Africa, southeast Europe and just into Asia. ... Binomial name Falco jugger Gray, 1834 The Laggar Falcon (Falco jugger) is a large bird of prey which occurs in the Indian subcontinent from extreme south-east Iran, south-east Afghanistan, Pakistan, through India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and north-west Myanmar. ... Binomial name Falco cherrug Gray, 1834 The Saker Falcon, (Falco cherrug), is a large bird of prey. ... For other uses, see Gyrfalcon (disambiguation). ... Binomial name Schlegel, 1850 (Falco mexicanus) is a medium-sized falcon of western North America. ... Binomial name Tunstall, 1771 Global range Yellow: Breeding summer visitor Green: Breeding resident Blue: Winter visitor Light blue: Passage visitor Subspecies 17-19, see text Synonyms Falco atriceps Hume Falco kreyenborgi Kleinschmidt, 1929 Falco pelegrinoides madens Ripley & Watson, 1963 Rhynchodon peregrinus (Tunstall, 1771) and see text The Peregrine Falcon (Falco... Trinomial name Falco peregrinus pealei Ridgway, 1873 Introduction The Peales falcon is a subspecies of the Peregrine falcon. ... Binomial name Falco pelegrinoides Temminck, 1829 The Barbary Falcon (Falco pelegrinoides) is a medium-sized falcon about the size of a crow. ... Binomial name Falco fasciinucha Reichenow & Neumann, 1895 The Taita Falcon Falco fasciinucha is one of the smallest Falcons in the Southern African Sub-region. ...

Fossil record

• Falco medius (Late Miocene of Cherevichnyi, Ukraine)^[9]
• ?Falco sp. (Late Miocene of Idaho)^[10]
• Falco sp. (Early^[11] Pliocene of Kansas)^[12]
• Falco sp. (Early Pliocene of Bulgaria - Early Pleistocene of Spain and Czechia)^[13]
• Falco oregonus (Early/Middle Pliocene of Fossil Lake, Oregon) - possibly not distinct from a living species
• Falco umanskajae (Late Pliocene of Kryzhanovka, Ukraine) - includes "Falco odessanus", a nomen nudum^[14]
• ?Falco bakalovi (Late Pliocene of Varshets, Bulgaria)^[15]
• Falco antiquus (Middle Pleistocene of Noailles, France and possibly Horvőlgy, Hungary)^[16]
• Cuban Kestrel, Falco kurochkini (Late Pleistocene/Holocene of Cuba, West Indies)

Several more paleosubspecies of extant species also been described; see species accounts for these. This page is a candidate for speedy deletion, because: it is patent nonsense. ...

"Sushkinia" pliocaena from the Early Pliocene of Pavlodar (Kazakhstan) appears to be a falcon of some sort. It might belong into this genus or a closely related one (Becker 1987). In any case, the genus name Sushkinia is invalid for this animal because it had already been allocated to a prehistoric dragonfly relative. This article is about the insect. ...

The supposed "Falco" pisanus was actually a pigeon of the genus Columba, possibly the same as Columba omnisanctorum which in that case would adopt the older species name of the "falcon" (Mlíkovský 2002). The Eocene fossil "Falco" falconellus (or "F." falconella) from Wyoming is a bird of uncertain affiliations, maybe a falconid, maybe not; it certainly does not belong into this genus. "Falco" readei is now considered a paleosubspecies of the Yellow-headed Caracara (Milvago chimachima). Genus Columba The large bird genus Columba comprises a group of medium to large stout-bodied pigeons, often referred to as the typical pigeons. ... hfajhfiudshfas == == == --24. ... A chronospecies is a species which changes physically, morphologically, genetically, and/or behaviorally over time on an evolutionary scale such that the originating species and the species it becomes could not be classified as the same species had they existed at the same point in time. ... Binomial name Milvago chimachima (Vieillot, 1816) The Yellow-headed Caracara, Milvago chimachima, is a bird of prey in the family Falconidae. ...

Footnotes

A digital object identifier (or DOI) is a standard for persistently identifying a piece of intellectual property on a digital network and associating it with related data, the metadata, in a structured extensible way. ... It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles accessible from a disambiguation page. ... It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles accessible from a disambiguation page. ... National Academy of Science of Ukraine The National Academy of Science of Ukraine (Ukrainian: ) is the highest state research organization in Ukraine. ... In human beings, the coracoid process is a small hook-like structure that comes off the scapula to point forward. ... Binomial name Linnaeus, 1758 Subspecies 3-9, see text. ... Mega-annum, usually abbreviated as Ma, is a unit of time equal to one million years. ... The Ruthven Exhibit Museums Building on Central Campus, looking towards the northeast The University of Michigan in Ann Arbor is home to a number of museums, with a majority of them on Central Campus. ... Binomial name Linnaeus, 1758 Subspecies 3-9, see text. ... Binomial name Falco sparverius Linnaeus, 1758 The American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) is a small falcon. ... Species Falco biarmicus Falco cherrug Falco jugger Falco rusticolus Synonyms Jerafalco Kaup, 1850 (unjustified emendation) Falco hierofalco (see text) The hierofalcons (literally, hawk-falcons) are four closely related species of falcon which make up the subgenus Hierofalco: Lanner Falcon, Falco biarmicus Laggar Falcon, Falco jugger Saker Falcon, Falco cherrug Gyrfalcon... The National Academy of Science of Ukraine is the highest state research organization in Ukraine. ... The Tarsometatarsus is a bone that is found in the lower leg of birds, formed from the fusion of several bones found in other types of animals. ... Binomial name Falco cherrug Gray, 1834 The Saker Falcon, (Falco cherrug), is a large bird of prey. ... A chronospecies is a species which changes physically, morphologically, genetically, and/or behaviorally over time on an evolutionary scale such that the originating species and the species it becomes could not be classified as the same species had they existed at the same point in time. ... Two ice core temperature records; the Eemian is at a depth of about 1500-1800 meters in the lower graph The Eemian interglacial era (known as the Sangamon interglacial in North America, the Ipswichian interglacial in the UK, and the Riss-Würm interglacial in the Alps) is the second...

References

• Becker, Jonathan J. (1987): Revision of "Falco" ramenta Wetmore and the Neogene evolution of the Falconidae. Auk 104(2): 270-276. PDF fulltext
• Feduccia, J. Alan (1970): Some birds of prey from the Upper Pliocene of Kansas. Auk 87(4): 795-797. PDF fulltext
• Griffiths, Carole S. (1999): Phylogeny of the Falconidae inferred from molecular and morphological data. Auk 116(1): 116–130. PDF fulltext
• Griffiths, Carole S.; Barrowclough, George F.; Groth, Jeff G. & Mertz, Lisa (2004): Phylogeny of the Falconidae (Aves): a comparison of the efficacy of morphological, mitochondrial, and nuclear data. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 32(1): 101–109. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2003.11.019 (HTML abstract)
• Groombridge, Jim J.; Jones, Carl G.; Bayes, Michelle K.; van Zyl, Anthony J.; Carrillo, José; Nichols, Richard A. & Bruford, Michael W. (2002): A molecular phylogeny of African kestrels with reference to divergence across the Indian Ocean. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 25(2): 267–277. doi:10.1016/S1055-7903(02)00254-3  (HTML abstract)
• Helbig, A.J.; Seibold, I.; Bednarek, W.; Brüning, H.; Gaucher, P.; Ristow, D.; Scharlau, W.; Schmidl, D. & Wink, Michael (1994): Phylogenetic relationships among falcon species (genus Falco) according to DNA sequence variation of the cytochrome b gene. In: Meyburg, B.-U. & Chancellor, R.D. (eds.): Raptor conservation today: 593-599. PDF fulltext
• Johnson, J.A.; Burnham, K.K.; Burnham, W.A.; Mindell, D.P. (2007): Genetic structure among continental and island populations of gyrfalcons. Molecular Ecology 16:3145-3160. doi:10.1111/j.1365-294X.2007.03373.x (HTML abstract)
• Martin, R.A.; Honey, J.G. & Pelaez-Campomanes, P. (2000): The Meade Basin Rodent Project; a progress report. Kansas Geologial Survey Open-file Report 2000-61^{[verification needed]}. Paludicola 3(1): 1-32.
• Mlíkovský, Jirí (2002): Cenozoic Birds of the World, Part 1: Europe. Ninox Press, Prague. ISBN 80-901105-3-8 PDF fulltext
• Nittinger, F.; Haring, E.; Pinsker, W.; Wink, Michael & Gamauf, A. (2005): Out of Africa? Phylogenetic relationships between Falco biarmicus and other hierofalcons (Aves Falconidae). Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research 43(4): 321-331. doi:10.1111/j.1439-0469.2005.00326.x PDF fulltext
• Sobolev, D.V. (2003): Новый вид плиоценового сокола (Falconiformes, Falconidae) [A new species of Pliocene falcon (Falconiformes, Falconidae)] Vestnik zoologii 37(6): 85–87. [Russian with English abstract] PDF fulltext
• White, Clayton M.; Olsen, Penny D. & Kiff, Lloyd F. (1994): Family Falconidae. In: del Hoyo, Josep; Elliott, Andrew & Sargatal, Jordi (editors): Handbook of Birds of the World, Volume 2 (New World Vultures to Guineafowl): 216-275, plates 24-28. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. ISBN 84-87334-15-6
• Wink, Michael & Sauer-Gürth, Hedi (2000): Advances in the molecular systematics of African raptors. In: Chancellor, R.D. & Meyburg, B.-U. (eds): Raptors at Risk: 135-147. WWGBP/Hancock House, Berlin/Blaine. PDF fulltext
• Wink, Michael; Seibold, I.; Lotfikhah, F. & Bednarek, W. (1998): Molecular systematics of holarctic raptors (Order Falconiformes). In: Chancellor, R.D., Meyburg, B.-U. & Ferrero, J.J. (eds.): Holarctic Birds of Prey: 29-48. Adenex & WWGBP. PDF fulltext
• Wink, Michael; Sauer-Gürth, Hedi; Ellis, David & Kenward, Robert (2004): Phylogenetic relationships in the Hierofalco complex (Saker-, Gyr-, Lanner-, Laggar Falcon). In: Chancellor, R.D. & Meyburg, B.-U. (eds.): Raptors Worldwide: 499-504. WWGBP, Berlin. PDF fulltext

The Auk is a quarterly journal and the official publication of the American Ornithologists Union, having been continuously published by that body since 1884. ... The Auk is a quarterly journal and the official publication of the American Ornithologists Union, having been continuously published by that body since 1884. ... The Auk is a quarterly journal and the official publication of the American Ornithologists Union, having been continuously published by that body since 1884. ... A digital object identifier (or DOI) is a standard for persistently identifying a piece of intellectual property on a digital network and associating it with related data, the metadata, in a structured extensible way. ... A digital object identifier (or DOI) is a standard for persistently identifying a piece of intellectual property on a digital network and associating it with related data, the metadata, in a structured extensible way. ... A digital object identifier (or DOI) is a standard for persistently identifying a piece of intellectual property on a digital network and associating it with related data, the metadata, in a structured extensible way. ... A digital object identifier (or DOI) is a standard for persistently identifying a piece of intellectual property on a digital network and associating it with related data, the metadata, in a structured extensible way. ... Handbook of Birds of the World vol. ...

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• Falconidae videos on the Internet Bird Collection
• The Raptor Resource Project Peregrine, owl, eagle and osprey cams, facts, and other resources.
• [7] Recording of a Falcon mating call.