Falcons are diurnal birds of prey, excellent in flight, being the birds that fly best. They spot their prey from the air, while hovering in one spot by flapping their wings, and when they're ready, they swoop down, at speeds of up to 200 meters per second, as is the case of the peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus). This speed positions falcons as the fastest animals on the planet. The shape of their feathers, their wings, and their tail, fine, conical and sharp, make these animals so fast and can perform spectacular turns. Juvenile falcons less than a year old have even longer feathers to make it easier for them to fly until they learn adult flying skills. They not only hunt land animals, but also aerial animals, such as small birds or even larger ducks.
There are four different types of falcons, all belonging to the same genus, the genus Falco. In this article on our site we will explain the different falcon groups, their characteristics and some examples.
How many types of falcons are there?
As we have already mentioned, there are four groups of falcons, and each of them comprises different species. Falcons are distributed all over the planet, except for Antarctica. Each species of falcon has its own hunting strategy. They tend to prefer fields and meadows. Their nests are usually placed on cliffs, mountains, or very tall trees, as their eggs and chicks, unlike adults, are very vulnerable to predation. Adults, on the ground, can be preyed on by wolves and in the air, by eagles or large owls, although it is not common due to their great agility.
The four main types of falcons are as follows:
- Merlin
- Kernicalos
- Hawks
- Hawks
Next, we will explain the characteristics of each of them and name examples of falcons from each group.
1. Merlin
Merlins (Falco columbarius) are the smallest falconsThe females are larger and more corpulent than the males, the wingspan of these birds ranges between 55 and 69 centimeters and there is a marked sexual dimorphism in the plumage. Males have a bluish color on the crown (top of the head) and on the dorsal area of their body. The female is generally browner and mottled, with longitudinal white streaks on the ventral area.
They live all over Europe, Iceland, North America and Central Asia They prefer bushy areas or plains with little or no trees, avoiding mountainous areas. Merlins are specialists in hunting small birds, such as goldfinches and larks, very typical of the areas where they live. The females, being larger, can hunt birds similar in size to a magpie. They can also feed on small mammals and large insects.
There are several subspecies of merlin depending on the region. In Iceland, we find the subspecies Falco columbarius subaesalon, in North America there are three, Falco columbarius columbarius, Falco columbarius richardsonii and Falco columbarius suckleyi and in Asia four, one of them in Siberia, Falco columbarius insignis, mFalco columbarius pacificus, Falco columbarius pallidus and Falco columbarius lymani.
two. Kestrels
There are 16 species of kestrels, distributed around the world. In Spain there are two species, the common kestrel (Falco tinnunculus), widely distributed throughout Europe, and the lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni), present all year round in southern Spain and northern Africa. During the winter it can be seen in other areas of southern and eastern Europe. Both species have a very similar shape, the tail is long and narrow, plain in males and streaked in females, with a black stripe near the tip. In both species there is sexual dimorphism. The female is brown and mottled, the male has a bluish-grey head with smooth cheeks in the case of the lesser and with dark whiskers (area under the eye and next to the beak). Unless we have an “expert eye”, differentiating the females of both species is complicated, but the males are easy. The lesser male has a very blue head, as do the greater coverts, which they are the wing feathers located near the body in the posterior area, and the rump, the final part of the back. The rest of the plumage is smooth reddish-brown The vulgar malefollows a similar pattern, its head and tail are blue, but the greater coverts are not. The rest of the feathers are reddish-brown but mottled
The wingspan of the common kestrel ranges between 68 and 78 centimeters, larger than the lesser, between 63 and 72 centimeters. Another big difference between the two species is that the lesser kestrels are colonial birds, they live in groups, unlike the common kestrels, which are solitary. Both species nest in abandoned nests of magpies or crows, but prefer to use holes in walls and human buildingsThis is one of the reasons why kestrels are threatened, humans destroy their nests or prevent them from establishing them, even though they are very beneficial birds, since they feed mainly on small mammals such as mice or large insects.
In Africa we find other types of kestrels such as the African kestrel (Falco rupicolus), the black-backed kestrel (Falco dickinsoni) and the white-eyed kestrel (Falco rupicoloides). Distributed throughout Eurasia and Africa, lives the red-footed kestrel (Falco vespertinus) and, only in Asia, the Amur kestrel. In the American continent there is a species of kestrel, the red hawk (Falco sparverius), as well as in Australia, where there is also a single species, the Australian kestrel (Falco cenchroides).
3. Hawks
Falcons, in terms of size, are halfway between kestrels and falcons. The Eurasian Falcon (Falco subbuteo) has a wingspan of 70 to 84 centimeters, very similar to other species of Falcon.
A characteristic common to all hawks is that they do not build their own nest, they use abandoned ones or even drive other birds out of their nests to use them. Females are larger than males, although they appear to be very similar in plumage. For example, male and female Eurasian Hogs have dark gray plumage, white throats and cheeks with very dark whiskers. The feathers around the cloaca and legs are red. The chest and belly are mottled on a white background. As part of the courtship of this species, the male, during the flight, passes food to the female at dizzying speeds.
Except for America and Antarctica, there are hawks on all continents, the species are:
- African Hawk (Falco cuvierii)
- Australian Falcon (Falco longipennis)
- Eastern Hawk (Falco severus)
- Alcotán turumti (Falco chicquera)
4. Hawks
Falcons, strictly speaking, are the largest. About 18 species of hawks are distributed around the world, many of which can hybridize with each other. Fact that is constantly repeated in falconry, where they are widely used.
All falcons have a more or less marked dark mustache, with a few exceptions, such as the gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus) which, in Greenland they are white with mottled areas on the wings, back and tail. This falcon is also known for being the largest, having a wingspan of 109 to 134 centimeters. In addition to Greenland, the gyrfalcon also inhabits the northern coast of Norway, where there are no white individuals. Its appearance is very similar to the Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus), but larger. This second falcon has a broader mustache, gray plumage on the back with a lighter rump and white with transverse dark bars on the chest and belly. The peregrine falcon hunts its prey in the air, while the gyrfalcon does so on the ground, having previously tired it in flight.
In isolated continental regions around the Mediterranean Sea inhabits the borní falcon (Falco biarmicus). It is a hawk of deserts and arid steppe areas. Being the largest female, they have a wingspan of 95 to 105 centimeters. The plumage of its wings and back is bluish gray with a scaly appearance. The crown area is golden, the throat, chest and belly are white with some dark mottled areas.
Further away from Eurasia and Africa, in America, we find the finned falcon (Falco femoralis). Its plumage is mainly bluish gray with dark whiskers. Behind the eyes they have a white stripe. The throat is also white. The feathers around the cloaca and on the legs are light brown. This falcon is closely associated with a species of canine, the maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus), which raises small birds when running, making it easier for this falcon to hunt.
The rest of the falcon types are:
- Berigora falcon (Falco berigora)
- Red-throated Falcon (Falco deiroleucus)
- Eleanor's Falcon (Falco eleonorae)
- Grey falcon (Falco hypoleucos)
- Maori falcon (Falco novaeseelandiae)
- Mexican falcon (Falco mexicanus)
- Bat Falcon (Falco rufigularis)
- Black falcon (Falco subniger)
- Dull falcon (Falco concolor)
- Saker Falcon (Falco cherrug)
- Tagarote falcon (Falco pelegrinoides)
- Taita falcon (Falco fasciinucha)
- Yaggar falcon (Falco jugger)
