falcon
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For other uses, see Falcon (disambiguation).
| ?Falcons |
Hybrid white gyrfalcon and saker falcon.
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| Scientific classification |
| Kingdom: |
Animalia
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| Phylum: |
Chordata
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| Class: |
Aves
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| Order: |
Falconiformes
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| Family: |
Falconidae
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| Genus: |
Falco
Linnaeus, 1758 |
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Species
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About 37; see text.
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A Falcon is any of several species of raptors in the genus Falco.
Overview
Falcons have thin, pointed wings, which give them speed and the ability to change direction rapidly. Peregrine Falcons, the fastest birds on Earth, are said to have reached stoop speeds of up to 200 mph.
Other falcons include the Gyrfalcon, Lanner Falcon, and the Merlin. Some small insectivorous falcons with long, narrow wings are called hobbies, and some which sometimes hover as they hunt for small rodents are named as kestrels.
The traditional term for a male falcon is a "tiercel". It is so called, from Latin tertius, because it is roughly a third smaller than the female. An eyas is a raptor chick still in its downy stage.
The technique of hunting with trained captive birds of prey is known as falconry.
The falcons are part of the family Falconidae, which also includes the caracaras, Laughing Falcon, forest falcons, and falconets.
In February 2005 the Canadian scientist Dr Louis Lefebvre announced a method of measuring avian IQ in terms of their innovation in feeding habits. Falcons were named among the most intelligent birds based on this scale.
Falcon fossils have been found dated 50 million years ago in the Eocene in the Messel Pit in Germany.
Species in taxonomic order
- Lesser Kestrel, Falco naumanni
- Common Kestrel, Falco tinnunculus
- Madagascar Kestrel, Falco newtoni
- Mauritius Kestrel, Falco punctatus
- Seychelles Kestrel, Falco araea
- Spotted Kestrel, Falco moluccensis
- Nankeen Kestrel, Falco cenchroides
- American Kestrel, Falco sparverius
- Greater Kestrel, Falco rupicoloides
- Fox Kestrel, Falco alopex
- Grey Kestrel, Falco ardosiaceus
- Dickinson's Kestrel, Falco dickinsoni
- Banded Kestrel, Falco zoniventris
- Red-necked Falcon, Falco chicquera
- Red-footed Falcon, Falco vespertinus
- Amur Falcon, Falco amurensis
- Eleonora's Falcon, Falco eleonorae
- Sooty Falcon, Falco concolor
- Aplomado Falcon, Falco femoralis
- Merlin Falcon, Falco columbarius
- Bat Falcon, Falco rufigularis
- Orange-breasted Falcon, Falco deiroleucus
- Eurasian Hobby, Falco subbuteo
- African Hobby, Falco cuvierii
- Oriental Hobby, Falco severus
- Australian Hobby, Falco longipennis
- New Zealand Falcon, Falco novaeseelandiae
- Brown Falcon, Falco berigora
- Grey Falcon, Falco hypoleucos
- Lanner Falcon, Falco biarmicus
- Laggar Falcon, Falco jugger
- Saker Falcon, Falco cherrug
- Black Falcon, Falco subniger
- Gyr Falcon, Falco rusticolus
- Prairie Falcon, Falco mexicanus
- Peregrine Falcon, Falco peregrinus
- Barbary Falcon, Falco (peregrinus) pelegrinoides
- Taita Falcon, Falco fasciinucha
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
Falcon
- Falconidae videos on the Internet Bird Collection
Categories: Falcons | Heraldic birds |
