are falcons birds
Birds of Prey ... The Sport of Falconry. A falcon 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. The 37 species are widely distributed throughout Europe, Asia, and North America. The falcons are the swiftest birds on the continent with records stating aerial dives at 200 mph and some as high as 300 mph. They were once used by falconers to hunt other game birds and animals for sport. Click on the bird images or names to see pictures of the Falcons and Hobby of North America. The first frame of the animation shows where the bird can find a suitable climate today (based on data from 2000). The next three frames predict where this bird’s suitable climate may shift in the future—one frame each for 2020, 2050, and 2080. The falcon is a bird of prey, meaning that it pursues other animals for food. It is active during the day and is characterized by long, pointed wings and swift, powerful flight. Some 60 species belong to the Falconidae family, which includes such birds as the caracaras, falconets, forest falcons, and the merlin. The falconets (Microhierax species) and pygmy falcons (Polihierax) are tiny birds of the Old World tropics. They eat insects and birds. The cuckoo falcons, several species of Aviceda, are kites of the subfamily Perninae (family Accipitridae). Home - Other Field Guides Kingdom - Animals - Animalia Phylum - Vertebrates - Craniata Class - Birds - Aves Order - Falcons - Falconiformes Family - Falcons - Falconidae Species American Kestrel. Falco sparverius. Other Names: Crested Caracara. Falcon, any of nearly 60 species of hawks of the family Falconidae (order Falconiformes), diurnal birds of prey characterized by long, pointed wings and swift, powerful flight. The name is applied in a restricted sense, as true falcons, to the genus Falco, which numbers more than 35 species. 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. This coincides with a period in which many modern genera of birds became recognizable in the fossil record. Mostly birds. Feeds on a wide variety of birds. Pigeons are often favored prey around cities, and ducks and shorebirds often taken along coast; known to take prey as large as loons, geese, large gulls, and as small as songbirds. Also eats a few small mammals, seldom insects, rarely carrion. There are at least eight types of falcons that live or have visited the continent of North America. The Peregrine Falcon and the Prairie Falcon are native birds and have the widest ranges. The Gyrfalcon lives in the northern regions of Canada and Alaska and prefer the colder climate conditions. The Aplomado Falcon lives in the southern States where it is being reintroduced and can also be found in Mexico.
Yes, falcons are birds.