Habitat and Range Description Food Breeding Sounds More Images Recent Literature

Falcons, caracaras

Order: FalconiformesAmerican Kestrel

Family: Falconidae

62 species

HABITAT AND RANGE:

Worldwide;

DESCRIPTION:

Bill short, hooked, with tomial tooth; legs strong;

FOOD:

BREEDING:

Most are solitary nesters on ledges or in cavities; monogamous;  sexes similar but female larger; 2-5 eggs

SOUNDS:

American Kestrel Falco sparverius calling

Laughing Falcon Herpetotheres cachinnans calling

Lined Forest-Falcon Micrastur gilvicollis calling

MORE IMAGES:

Merlin  Peregrine Falcon  

RECENT LITERATURE:

Griffiths, C. S. 1999. Phylogeny of the Falconidae inferred from molecular and morphological data. Auk. 116 (1): 116-130.

Glasser, A., M. T. Pardue, M. E. Andison, J. G. Sivak, A. Glasser, M. T. Pardue,  M. E. Andison, and J. G. Sivak. 1997. A behavioral study of refraction, corneal curvature, and accommodation in raptor eyes. Canadian Journal of Zoology. 75 (12): 2010-2020.

Morishita, T. Y., L. J.  Lowenstine, D. C. Hirsh,  and D. L. Brooks. 1997. Lesions associated with Pasteurella multocida infection in raptors. Avian Diseases. 41 (1): 203-213.

Carrillo, J., R. Garcia, and M. Nogales. 1995. Contribution to the study of the dietary spectrum of Falco tinnunculus (Aves: Falconidae), on Hierro Island (Canary Islands). Boletim do Museu Municipal do Funchal. 0 (47): 7-22.

Robson, S. E. S. 1996. Records and geographical distribution of the peregrine falcon Falco peregrinus Tunstall, 1771 (Aves, Falconidae) in  Brazil. Papeis Avulsos de Zoologia (Sao Paulo). 39 (13): 249-270.

Monteiro, F. E. L. A. 1995. Fishing behavior of yellow-headed caracara, Milvago chimachima (Falconidae) in southeast Brazil. Ciencia e Cultura (Sao Paulo). 47 (1-2): 86-87.

Paton, P. W. C., F. J. Messina, and C. R. Griffin. 1994. A phylogenetic approach to reversed size dimorphism in diurnal raptors. Oikos. 71 (3). 492-498.

Griffiths, C. S. 1994. Syringeal morphology and the phylogeny of the Falconidae. Condor. 96 (1): 127-140.

Banks, R. C., and C. J. Dove. 1992. The generic name for crested caracaras (Aves: Falconidae). Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. 105 (3): 420-425.

Seibold, I.. A. J. Helbig, and M. Wink. 1993. Molecular systematics of falcons (family Falconidae). Naturwissenschaften. 80 (2): 87-90.

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