The order Falconiformes once was considered to contain the hawk, eagles, vultures,and their allies. DNA evidence indicates the orders should be separate. Falconiformes now contains just one family, Falconidae.

The Falconidae family contains the falcons, kestrels, caracaras. These are small to medium sized diurnal raptors. They differ from the hawks and their allies by the way they kill their prey. They use their beaks instead of their feet.


Genus Falco

Falcon, Amur Falco amurensis   Found: Asia, Africa
Photographed by: 1) Thimindu Goonatillake  2) Dick Daniels - Tanzania
2) Juvenile


Falcon, Barbary   Falco pelegrinoides  Found: Africa
Photographed by Frank Vassen on the Canary Island of Lanzarote


Falcon, Brown  Falco berigora  Found: Australia
Photographed by: 1, 2) Benjamint444  3) Jiron - Victoria, Australia  4) Arthur Chapman


Falcon, Lanner Falco biarmicus Found: Europe, Asia, Africa
Photographed by: 1) Dick Daniels - Eagle Encounters, South Africa   2, 3) Dick Daniels - Eagle Encounters, South Africa


Falcon, Peregrine Falco peregrinus Found: Almost everywhere
Photographed by: 1) Dick Daniels - Eagle Encoumters, South Africa   2) Dick - Eagle Encoumters
    3) Dick - Sunset Beach, North Carolina   4, 5, 6) Dick - Carolina Raptor Center  7) Dick - Carolina Raptor Center



Falcon, Red-footed  Falco vespertinus  Found: Europe, Asia, Africa
Photographed by: 1) Daniel Pettersson  2) Jutta Luft 
1) Female


Falcon, Red-necked  Falco chicquera  Found: India, Africa
Photographed by: 1) Peter Last  2) Alastair Rae - Namibia


Falcon, Sooty  Falco concolor  Found: Africa
Photographed by Frank Vassen - Madagascar


Hobby aka Eurasian Hobby  Falco subbuteo   Found: Europe, Asia, Africa
Photographed by: Lilly M


Kestrel, Common Falco tinnunculus   Found: Europe, Asia, Africa
Photographed by: 1, 2) Dick Daniels - England
1, 2) Male 


Kestrel, Rock Falco rupicolus  Found: Africa
Photographed by:  1) Dick Daniels - World of Birds   2) Dick near De Hoop, South Africa  3, 4) Dick - Eagle Encounters,  
    5) Sandy Cole near De Hoop Nature Reserve, South Africa



Kestrel, Greater  Falco rupicoloides  Found: Africa
Photographed by:  1) Frank Vassen - Etosha National Park, Namibia  2) Thomas Schoch - Etosha National Park, Namibia
   3) Alastair Rae - Namibia


Kestrel, Lesser  Falco naumanni   Found: Europe, Asia, Africa
Photographed by: 1, 2) Neil Gray - Hanover, Northern Cape, South Africa



Genus Polihierax

Falcon, African Pygmy aka  Pygmy Falcon  Polihierax semitorquatus  Found: Africa
Photographed by: 1) Steve Garvie  - Buffalo Springs National Park, Kenya  2) Carol Foil - Archers Post, Rift Valley, Kenya
    3) Dick Daniels - Washington National Zoo  4) Trisha Shears - Louisville Zoo in Kentucky