science

List of Falconidae

List of Falconidae is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand List of Falconidae rather than just read about it. In short: Falconidae is a family of diurnal birds of prey and includes caracaras, laughing falcon, forest falcons, falconets, pygmy falcons, falcons and kestrels. They are small to medium-sized birds of prey, ranging in size from the black-thighed falconet, which can weigh as little as 35 grams (1.2 oz), to the gyrfalcon, which can weigh as much as 1,735 grams (61.2 oz).

Key takeaways

List of Falconidae belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect List of Falconidae to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of List of Falconidae from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Falconidae is a family of diurnal birds of prey and includes caracaras, laughing falcon, forest falcons, falconets, pygmy falcons, falcons and kestrels. They are small to medium-sized birds of prey, ranging in size from the black-thighed falconet, which can weigh as little as 35 grams (1.2 oz), to the gyrfalcon, which can weigh as much as 1,735 grams (61.2 oz). They have strongly hooked bills, sharply curved talons and excellent eyesight. The plumage is usually composed of browns, whites, chestnut, black and grey, often with barring of patterning. There is little difference in the plumage of males and females, although a few species have some sexual dimorphism in boldness of plumage. They differ from other Falconiformes in killing with their beaks instead of their talons. They have a "tooth" on the side of their beak for the purpose. They are classified in eleven genera and 67 species of which two are extinct.

Conventions

Conservation statuses listed for each species follow the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. The symbol indicates that the species's population trend is positive, the symbol indicates that the species's population trend is negative, the symbol indicates that the species's population is stable, and the ? symbol indicates that the species's population trend is unknown. Population trends are based on the Red List of Threatened Species. The super-scripted "IUCN" tag is a link to that species's Red List of Threatened Species page. If a species has taxonomic synonyms, a list of these is provided in the "Scientific name" column, underneath the binomial name and author. If a species has subspecies, a list of these is provided in the "Common name" column, underneath the common name.

Classification Family: Falconidae

Subfamily Polyborinae Genus Daptrius – black caracara Genus Ibycter – red-throated caracara (sometimes included in Daptrius) Genus Phalcoboenus (4 species) – Andean and southern South American caracaras Genus Caracara – crested caracaras (2 living species, 1 extinct) Genus Milvago – brown caracaras (2 species) Genus Micrastur – forest falcons (7 species) Subfamily Falconinae Genus Herpetotheres – laughing falcon Genus Spiziapteryx – spot-winged falconet Genus Polihierax – pygmy falcons (2 species, includes Neohierax) Genus Microhierax – typical falconets (5 species) Genus Falco – true falcons, hobbies and kestrels (around 37 species) Following list of Falconidae is based on International Ornithological Congress' World Bird List.

Subfamily Polyborinae Traditionally, subfamily Polyborinae comprises caracaras and forest falcons which are principally birds of South and Central America. They are classified in six genera and 18 species of which one is extinct since 1906. Unlike the Falco falcons in the same family, caracaras in the five relevant genera are not fast-flying aerial hunters, but are comparatively slow and are often scavengers (a notable exception being the red-throated caracara).

Genus Daptrius

Genus Ibycter

Genus Phalcoboenus

Genus Caracara

Genus Milvago

Genus Micrastur Forest falcons are endemic to the Americas. They are classified as 7 species in one genus. They are adapted for agility in thick cover rather than outright speed in the open air. They have short wings, long tails, and extraordinarily acute hearing. While generally visually inconspicuous, their songs are commonly heard.

Subfamily Falconinae

Genus Herpethotheres

Genus Spiziapteryx

Genus Polihierax

Genus Microhierax

Genus Falco Falcons are roughly divisible into three or four groups. The first contains the kestrels (probably excepting the American kestrel); the second group contains slightly larger (on average) and more elegant species, the hobbies and relatives. Third are the peregrine falcon and its relatives: variably sized powerful birds which also have a black malar area (except some very light color morphs), and often a black cap also. Very similar to these and sometimes included therein are the four or so species of hierofalcons (literally, "hawk-falcons").

Notes

References

Bibliography

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with List of Falconidae

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what List of Falconidae claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to List of Falconidae before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about List of Falconidae ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of List of Falconidae

In research: List of Falconidae appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses List of Falconidae in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: List of Falconidae is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Birds of prey, Falconidae, Lists of birds, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for List of Falconidae outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Ask Teacher Smith questions about this articleOpens your AI tutor with a question about “List of Falconidae” →

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study List of Falconidae in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what List of Falconidae means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain List of Falconidae out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is List of Falconidae in simple terms?

Why does List of Falconidae matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study List of Falconidae?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on List of Falconidae.