Falcon, falconet, and caracara
Falcons, including falconets and caracaras, belong to the family Falconidae, which comprises around 65 species of raptors found in diverse habitats worldwide, except Antarctica. This family is the second-largest among birds of prey and features a variety of species adapted to different environments, from open arctic tundra to the tropical forests of South America. Falcons are characterized by their long, pointed wings, sharp talons, and distinctive beak structure, allowing them to be adept hunters, primarily preying on smaller birds and mammals. Falconets, smaller members of the family, typically hunt flying insects, while caracaras are larger scavengers known for their carrion-eating habits.
The nesting habits of these birds vary, with most falcons laying eggs in shallow hollows or using old nests from other birds, while caracaras construct their own nests. Their reproductive patterns show a range of egg-laying behaviors, with incubation lasting between 28 to 35 days, depending on the species. These raptors face various threats, including habitat destruction and the impact of pesticides like DDT, which have historically led to declines in their populations. Conservation efforts are in place for many species to ensure their survival, reflecting their important role in ecosystems as skilled predators.
Falcon, falconet, and caracara
The family of falcons includes around 65 species in five separate groups, including the falconets and caracaras. This is the second-largest family of raptors, or birds of prey.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Falconiformes
Family: Falconidae
Genus: Various (see below)
Species: Various (see below)
The Falconidae family is a group of raptors living in almost every habitat on every continent except Antarctica. Most species live in the unpopulated countryside, but some smaller species live near towns and cities. Typical, or true, falcons are birds that live on all continents except Antarctica and live in open habitats. These habitats even include the arctic tundra. The pygmy falcons and falconets live in the southern hemisphere in South America, Africa, and tropical Asia. Forest falcons and the laughing falcon live in South America’s dense tropical and subtropical forests. Caracaras are Central and South American birds, but some may be found in the United States near the Gulf of Mexico.
A characteristic of falcons is their long, pointed, tapered wings. They are skillful fliers at any speed and may soar and float on air currents for extended periods. Many falcons have long tails and appear to have large heads with wide, dark eyes on their streamlined bodies.
Falcons have bare feet and toes with sharp talons for catching and holding prey. Loose feathers cover their thighs and look like shorts. Falcons' beaks are usually notched with a tooth-like point on the tip.
Falcon species range in size from the six-inch (15-centimeter) long Philippine falcon to the gyrfalcon and peregrine falcon, which are around two feet (60 centimeters) long. Pygmy falcons weigh only two ounces (60 grams), while true falcons range between 4 ounces and 43 pounds (110 grams to 20 kilograms). Falcons' chestnut-red, brown, black, white, or gray plumage (feathering) varies between species.
All falcons are carnivorous, or meat-eating, and most are predatory, hunting other animals like bird species of different sizes. They can kill their prey by striking it in the air with their talons or by taking it to the ground and killing it there. Pygmy falcons and falconets prey on flying insects. The laughing falcon (single species) chiefly eats reptiles and other small animals. Small mammals like rodents are common meals for many species. Caracaras are large buzzard-like birds that scavenge for carrion or dead animal flesh.
Historically, average citizens could not own or hunt with falcons. In Medieval Europe, only royalty could keep and hunt with gyrfalcons. Only feudal lords could have peregrine falcons, and clergy members could keep hobby falcons and merlins. Similar laws existed in Japan from CE 355 until the mid-nineteenth century. In the twenty-first century, falcons called duck hawks are popular among hunters who own birds of prey.
Falcons are fierce hunters and fighters at the top of their food chain with few natural enemies. They face danger from sport hunters or farmers. Many species receive government protection to keep them from extinction.
Pesticides and chemicals like the insecticide Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) are a great threat to falcons. DTT is poisonous and stays in the environment for several years without decomposing. It can drift in the air and water. When a falcon eats an animal poisoned with DDT, they also eat the poison, which builds up in their body. DDT also causes birds to have fewer young, decreasing populations. As DDT decomposes, it causes the eggshells of the young to be thinner and weaker. This means many eggs break during incubation or the young die in their shells, called shell-shock.
Except for caracaras, falcons do not build nests. They lay their eggs on the ground in shallow hollows, cliff ledges, or old tree nests of hawks or crows.
Females in smaller species lay three to five eggs, while those of larger species lay two to four. Females of all species incubate their eggs for 28 to 35 days, and males may sometimes help. After the young hatch, they remain in the nest until they are ready to fledge, or to fly for the first time. In small species, this may begin after 28 to 30 days, but large species may take up to 8 weeks.
Life spans for falconids vary between species. In all species, 65 to 80 percent of the young live to adulthood. Some falcons and caracaras have lived 22 years.
Examples:
Black caracara Daptrius ater
Red-throated caracara Ibycter americanus
Carunculated caracaraPhalcoboenus carunculatus
Mountain caracara Phalcoboenus megalopterus
White-throated caracara Phalcoboenus albogularis
Striated caracara Phalcoboenus australis
American kestrel Falco sparverius
Aplomado falcon Falco femoralis
Common or European kestrel Falco tinnunculus
Amur falcon Falco amurensis
Eleonora's falcon Falco eleonorae
Gray kestrel Falco ardosiaceus
Gyrfalcon Falco rusticolus
Laggar falcon Falco jugger
Lesser kestrel Falco naumanni
Mauritius kestrel Falco punctatus
Merlin or pigeon hawk Falco columbarius
Eurasian hobby Falco subbuteo
Peregrine falcon Falco peregrinus
Prairie falcon Falco mexicanus
Red-footed falcon Falco vespertinus
Saker falcon Falco cherrug
Seychelles falcon Falco araea
Sooty falcon Falco concolor
Pygmy falcon and falconets:
African pygmy falcon Polihierax semitorquatus
Philippine falconet Microhierax erythrogenys
Collared falconet Microhierax caerulescens
Black-thighed Falconet Microhierax fringillarius
White-fronted Falconet Microhierax latifrons
Pied Falconet Microhierax melanoleucos
Laughing falcon:
Laughing falcon or snake hawk Herpetotheres cachinnans
Caracaras:
Crested caracara Caracara plancus
Yellow-headed Caracara Milvago chimachima
Chimango Caracara Milvago chimango
White-throated Caracara Phalcoboenus albogularis
Guadalupe caracara Caracara lutosa (extinct)
Bibliography
"Falconidae - Falcons, Caracaras." PBS, nhpbs.org/wild/Falconidae.asp. Accessed 1 Apr. 2024.
Kirschbaum, Kari. "Falconidae." Animal Diversity Web, animaldiversity.org/accounts/Falconidae. Accessed 1 Apr. 2024.