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Falconidae
Taxonomy
Falconidae was named by Vigors (1824). It is extant. Its type is Falco.
It was assigned to Carinatae by De Vis (1892); to Accipitres by Moreno and Mercerat (1891), Hay (1902); to Falconoidae by Hay (1930); to Accipitriformes by Baird (1992), Parmalee (1992); to Falconoidea by Wetmore (1940), Wetmore (1956), Livezey and Zusi (2007); to Falconiformes by Lambrecht (1933), Howard (1982), Carroll (1988), Guthrie (1992), del Hoyo et al. (2014), Clements et al. (2017), Worthy and Nguyen (2020); and to Falconiformes by Tambussi et al. (2023).
It was assigned to Carinatae by De Vis (1892); to Accipitres by Moreno and Mercerat (1891), Hay (1902); to Falconoidae by Hay (1930); to Accipitriformes by Baird (1992), Parmalee (1992); to Falconoidea by Wetmore (1940), Wetmore (1956), Livezey and Zusi (2007); to Falconiformes by Lambrecht (1933), Howard (1982), Carroll (1988), Guthrie (1992), del Hoyo et al. (2014), Clements et al. (2017), Worthy and Nguyen (2020); and to Falconiformes by Tambussi et al. (2023).
Synonymy list
| Year | Name and author |
|---|---|
| 1824 | Falconidae Vigors |
| 1891 | Falconidae Moreno and Mercerat p. 66 |
| 1892 | Falconidae De Vis p. 454 |
| 1902 | Falconidae Hay p. 535 |
| 1930 | Falconidae Hay p. 320 |
| 1933 | Falconidae Lambrecht p. 420 |
| 1940 | Falconidae Wetmore p. 40 |
| 1956 | Falconidae Wetmore p. 48 |
| 1982 | Falconidae Howard p. 10 |
| 1988 | Falconidae Carroll |
| 1992 | Falconidae Baird p. 24 |
| 1992 | Falconidae Guthrie p. 322 |
| 1992 | Falconidae Parmalee p. 311 |
| 2007 | Falconidae Livezey and Zusi p. 93 |
| 2014 | Falconidae del Hoyo et al. |
| 2017 | Falconidae Clements et al. |
| 2020 | Falconidae Worthy and Nguyen p. 96 |
| 2023 | Falconidae Tambussi et al. p. 280 |
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If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.
Fm. Falconidae Vigors 1824
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G. †Badrostes
G. Baza De Vis 1905
G. Caracara Merrem 1826 [caracara]
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Caracara cheriway Jacquin 1784 [crested caracara]
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†Caracara prelutosus prelutosus Howard 1938
Invalid names: Caracara prelutosa Howard 1938 [synonym]
†Caracara creightoni Brodkorb 1959 [Creighton's caracara]
Caracara plancus Miller 1777 [southern caracara]
Invalid names: Polyborus Vieillot 1816 [replaced]
G. †Falconidarum Regalia 1902
Subfm. Falconinae Vigors 1824
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G. Falco Linnaeus 1758 [falcon]
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Subg. †Falco (Cerchneis) Boie 1826
Subg. Falco (Rhynchodon) Nitzsch 1829
Falco alopex Heuglin 1861 [Fox kestrel]
Falco altaicus Menzbier 1891 [Altai falcon]
Falco amurensis Radde 1863 [Amur falcon]
Falco ardosiaceus Vieillot 1823 [Grey kestrel]
†Falco bakalovi Boev 1999
Falco berigora Vigors and Horsfield 1827 [Brown falcon]
Falco biarmicus Temminck 1825 [Lanner falcon]
Falco cenchroides Vigors and Horsfield 1827 [Australian kestrel]
Falco cherrug Gray 1834 [Saker falcon]
Falco columbarius Linnaeus 1758 [merlin]
Falco concolor Temminck 1825 [Sooty falcon]
Falco cuvierii Smith 1830 [African hobby]
Falco deiroleucus Temminck 1825 [Orange-breasted falcon]
†Falco duboisi Cowles 1994 [Réunion kestrel]
Falco eleonorae Gené 1839 [Eleonora's falcon]
†Falco falconellus Shufeldt 1915
Falco fasciinucha Reichenow and Neumann 1895 [Taita falcon]
Falco femoralis Temminck 1822 [Aplomado falcon]
Falco fuscocaerulescens Vieillot 1817
Falco hypoleucos Gould 1841 [Grey falcon]
Falco jugger Gray 1834 [Laggar falcon]
Falco longipennis Swainson 1837 [Australian hobby]
†Falco medius Umans'ka 1981
Falco melanaetus Linnaeus 1758
Falco mexicanus Schlegel 1850 [Prairie falcon]
Falco naumanni Fleischer 1818 [Lesser kestrel]
Falco newtoni Gurney 1863 [Madagascar kestrel]
Falco novaeseelandiae Gmelin 1788 [New Zealand falcon]
†Falco oregonus Howard 1946
Falco peregrinus Tunstall 1771 [Peregrine falcon]
Falco punctatus Temminck 1821 [Mauritius kestrel]
†Falco readi Brodkorb 1959
Falco rufigularis Daudin 1800 [Bat falcon]
Falco rupicoloides Smith 1829 [Greater kestrel]
Falco rusticolus Linnaeus 1758 [gyrfalcon]
Falco severus Horsfield 1821 [Oriental hobby]
Falco sparverius Linnaeus 1758 [American kestrel]
Falco subbuteo Linnaeus 1758 [Eurasian hobby]
Falco subniger Gray 1843 [Black falcon]
Falco tinnunculus Linnaeus 1758 [Common kestrel]
Falco vespertinus Linnaeus 1766 [Red-footed falcon]
Invalid names: Tinnunculus Vieillot 1807 [synonym]
G. Spiziapteryx Kaup 1852 [spot-winged falconet]
Invalid names: Falconini del Hoyo et al. 2014 [empty], Polyborini del Hoyo et al. 2014 [empty]
G. Herpetotheres Vieillot 1817 [laughing falcon]
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Herpetotheres cachinnans Linnaeus 1758 [Laughing falcon]
G. †Lagopterus Moreno and Mercerat 1891
G. Micrastur Gray 1841 [forest falcon]
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Micrastur ruficollis Vieillot 1817 [Barred forest-falcon]
Micrastur semitorquatus Vieillot 1817 [Collared forest-falcon]
G. Milvago Spix 1824 [caracara]
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†Milvago brodkorbi Campbell 1979 [caracara]
Milvago chimachima Viellot 1816 [yellow-headed caracara]
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Invalid names: Milvago readei Brodkorb 1959 [synonym]
†Milvago diazfrancoi Suárez 2020 [Caraira de Díaz Franco]
G. Phalcoboenus d'Orbigny 1834
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Phalcoboenus australis Gmelin 1788 [striated caracara]
Phalcoboenus chimango Vieillot 1816 [Chimango caracara]
†Phalcoboenus napieri Adams and Woods 2016
Invalid names: Caracarinae [empty], Herpetotherinae del Hoyo et al. 2014 [empty], Polyborinae Lafresnaye 1839 [empty]
Diagnosis
No diagnoses are available
Measurements
No measurements are available
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| Source: f = family, o = order | |||||
| References: Marsh 1875, Naka 2004 | |||||
Age range
Maximum range based only on fossils: base of the Bridgerian to the top of the Holocene or 50.30000 to 0.00000 Ma
Minimum age of oldest fossil (stem group age): 46.2 Ma
Minimum age of oldest fossil (stem group age): 46.2 Ma
Collections (156 total)
| Time interval | Ma | Country or state | Original ID and collection number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bridgerian | USA (Wyoming) | Falco falconella (16210) | |
| Colhuehuapian | Argentina (Neuquén) | Falconidae indet. (89030) | |
| Hemingfordian | USA (Nebraska) | Pediohierax ramenta (18001) | |
| Santacrucian | Argentina (Santa Cruz) | Badiostes patagonicus (176565) Thegornis debilis (142533) Thegornis musculosus (176566 176603) | |
| Early/Lower Barstovian | USA (Nebraska) | Pediohierax ramenta (17880 17905 17976) | |
| Tortonian | USA (California) | Falconidae indet. (50069) | |
| Late/Upper Miocene | Ukraine | Falco medius (39816) | |
| Hemphillian | USA (California) | Falco sp. (57909) | |
| Hemphillian | USA (Idaho) | Falco sp. (19085) | |
| Messinian | Argentina (La Pampa) | Milvago sp. (141939) | |
| Pliocene - Pleistocene | Italy (Tuscany) | Falconidae indet. (49240) | |
| Montehermosan | Argentina (Buenos Aires) | Foetopterus ambiguus (13503) | |
| Late/Upper Pliocene | Chile | Milvago sp. (100174) | |
| Villanyian | Hungary (Barany) | Falco sp. (35368) | |
| Gelasian | USA (Florida) | Falco sparverius, Falco columbarius (20384) | |
| Early/Lower Pleistocene | Spain (Mallorca) | Falco sp. (214536) | |
| Early/Lower Pleistocene | Hungary (Barany) | Falco tinnunculus, Falco vespertinus (35457) | |
| Pleistocene | Greece (Chalkidiki) | Falco tinnunculus (183123) | |
| Pleistocene | USA (California) | Falco sparverius (176098) | |
| Pleistocene | United Kingdom | Falco peregrinus (124960) | |
| Pleistocene - Holocene | Cuba (Matanzas) | Milvago carbo, Caracara creigthoni, Falco femoralis (152870) | |
| Calabrian | Spain (Castilla-Leon) | Falco naumanni (34870) | |
| Calabrian | Italy | Falco peregrinus (197789) Falco peregrinus, Falco subbuteo (197790) | |
| Calabrian | Spain (Palencia) | Falco sp. (221570) Falco tinnunculus (205228) Falco tinnunculus, Falco rusticolus (213667) | |
| Irvingtonian | USA (Colorado) | Falco sp., Falco sparverius (152653) | |
| Lujanian | Argentina (Buenos Aires) | Caracara sp. (202096) Lagopterus minutus (71303) | |
| Middle Pleistocene | Italy (Siracusa) | Falco tinnunculus, Falco columbarius, Falco subbuteo, Falco eleonorae (175900) | |
| Middle Pleistocene | Hungary | Falco tinnunculus (35045) | |
| Middle Pleistocene | USA (California) | Falco sparverius (20639) | |
| Middle Pleistocene - Late/Upper Pleistocene | Monaco | Falco peregrinus, Falco tinnunculus (191730) | |
| Rancholabrean | USA (Florida) | Falco sparverius (20398) Falco sparverius, Falco peregrinus, Caracara prelutosa (20491) | |
| Rancholabrean | USA (California) | Falco sparverius, Falco mexicanus, Falco peregrinus, Falco columbarius, Caracara prelutosus (152008) Falco sparverius, Falco mexicanus, Falco peregrinus, Polyborus prelutosus, Falco columbarius (192630) Falco sparverius, Falco mexicanus, Polyborus prelutosus, Falco columbarius (161536) | |
| Rancholabrean | Mexico (Sonora) | Caracara cheriway (20495) | |
| Rancholabrean - Holocene | USA (California) | Falco sparverius, Polyborus plancus (84904) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | East Timor | Falco sp. (204407) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | Spain | Falco sp., Falco tinnunculus, Falco naumanni, Falco vespertinus, Falco subbuteo (197938) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene (glacial) | USA (California) | Falco sparverius, Falco peregrinus (155393) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene (glacial) | USA (Florida) | Polyborus cheriway (154771) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | Greece (Crete) | Falco eleonorae (192957) Falco peregrinus, Falco tinnunculus, Falco eleonorae (192949) Falco peregrinus, Falco tinnunculus, Falco subbuteo, Falco eleonorae (92902) Falco tinnunculus (192948 192954 192965) Falco tinnunculus, Falco eleonorae (192955 192959) Falco tinnunculus, Falco subbuteo, Falco eleonorae (192951) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | Portugal | Falco tinnunculus (197768) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene (interglacial) | USA (Idaho) | Falco peregrinus (20569) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | Bahamas (Great Abaco Island) | Falco sparverius (144663) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | USA (Georgia) | Falco sparverius (84190) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene (late glacial) | USA (Tennessee) | Falco sparverius (82890) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | Italy | Falco columbarius, Falco cherrug (194932) Falco sp. (197773 197787) Falco sp. 1, Falco sp., Falco tinnunculus, Falco vespertinus (197769) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | Romania | Falco tinnunculus (197946) Falco vespertinus (197948) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene (late glacial) | USA (Florida) | Falco sparverius, Milvago readei, Falco peregrinus, Polyborus plancus, Falco columbarius (154722) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | Ecuador | Milvago sp., Falco peregrinus, Polyborus plancus, Falco femoralis (152599) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | USA (California) | Falco peregrinus, Polyborus plancus (176102) Falco sp., Falco sparverius, Falco mexicanus, Falco peregrinus, Polyborus prelutosus, Falco columbarius (190077) Falco sp., Polyborus sp., Falco sparverius, Falco mexicanus, Falco peregrinus, Falco columbarius, Falco swarthi (44954) Falco sparverius (74235 123918 215552) Falco sparverius, Polyborus plancus (125236) Falco sparverius, Polyborus prelutosus (218989) Polyborus cheriway (79630) Polyborus plancus (120827 125234 125237) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | New Zealand (South Island) | Falco novaeseelandiae (87814) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | USA (Virginia) | Falco sparverius (103991) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | USA (New Mexico) | Falco sparverius, Falco mexicanus (93281) Falco sparverius, Falco mexicanus, Caracara prelutosa, Falco swarthi (71670) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | Greece (Peloponnesus) | Falco vespertinus (184245) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | USA (Oregon) | Falco oregonus (93251) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene (high glacial) | USA (New Mexico) | Falco peregrinus (76059) Falco sparverius (76060) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene (interglacial) | USA (Florida) | Falco sparverius, Falco peregrinus, Polyborus prelutosus (20595) Falco sparverius, Falco readi, Falco peregrinus (20573) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | USA (Florida) | Falco sparverius (20638) Polyborus cheriway (74292) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene (high glacial) | Venezuela (Zulia) | Falco sparverius, Falco peregrinus, Caracara cheriway (63515) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | Russian Federation | Falco altaicus (194807) Falco sp. (194811) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | Australia (South Australia) | Asturaetus furcillatus (176412) Falco berigora (136157 181314) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | Chile (O'Higgins) | Milvago chimango (71280) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | Mexico (Mexico) | Caracara prelutosa (192627) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | Jordan | Falco sp. (197945) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | United Kingdom (Wales) | Falco subbuteo (124954) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene (interglacial) | USA (Alabama) | Falco sparverius (84181) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | Peru | Falco sp., Falco sparverius, Milvago brodkorbi, Falco peregrinus, Polyborus plancus, Falco femoralis (71346) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | USA (Wyoming) | Falco sparverius, Falco mexicanus, Polyborus plancus, Falco columbarius, Falco rusticolus (93277) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | Azerbaijan | Falco peregrinus, Falco tinnunculus (193356) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | United Kingdom | Falco columbarius (124956) Falco tinnunculus (93837) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | France (Corse) | Falco tinnunculus (215363) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene - Holocene | Russian Federation | Falco columbarius, Falco subbuteo (194812) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene - Holocene | Cayman Islands | Falco columbarius (209852) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene - Holocene | Romania | Falco sp. (197949) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene - Holocene | Bahamas (New Providence Island) | Falco sparverius, Caracara creightoni (194588) Falco sparverius, Polyborus creightoni (144649) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene - Holocene | USA (Utah) | Falco sp., Falco mexicanus, Polyborus plancus (93326) | |
| Holocene | France (Corse) | Falco peregrinus, Falco vespertinus, Falco subbuteo (215376) | |
| Holocene | New Zealand (South Island) | Falco novaeseelandiae (215392 215418) | |
| Holocene | USA (Ohio) | Falco peregrinus (195062) | |
| Holocene | USA (Alaska) | Falco sp. (220460) | |
| Holocene | Spain | Falco sp., Falco tinnunculus (194379) | |
| Holocene | Peru | Falco sparverius (71328) | |
| Holocene | Madagascar (Toliara) | Falco newtoni (92733) | |
| Holocene | Mauritius | Falco punctatus (194166) | |
| Holocene | Bolivia (Chuquisaca) | Falconidae indet. (70705) | |
| Holocene | Mexico (Chiapas) | Polyborus plancus (195047) | |
| Holocene | Madagascar | Falco newtoni (195020 236022) | |
| Holocene | New Zealand | Falco novaeseelandiae (100554 194619 198088) | |
| Holocene | USA (California) | Falco columbarius (194912) Falco mexicanus, Falco peregrinus (194914) Falco peregrinus (194905) Falco peregrinus, Falco columbarius (194926) Falco sp. (194906 194908 194909) Falco sp., Falco peregrinus (194927) Falco sparverius (194913) | |
| Holocene | Bahamas (Great Abaco Island) | Caracara creightoni (144662) | |
| Holocene | Cayman Islands (Grand Cayman) | Polyborus creightoni (186637) | |
| Holocene | Venezuela | Polyborus plancus (197932 197934) | |
| Holocene | Reunion | Falco duboisi (193992 193993 193994) | |
| Holocene | New Caledonia | Falco peregrinus (13221) | |
| Holocene | Falkland Islands (Malvinas) | Falco femoralis, Phalcoboenus australis, Phalcoboenus napieri (194620) | |
| Holocene | Australia (South Australia) | Falco cenchroides (194979) | |
| Holocene | Australia (Victoria) | Falco cenchroides (138410) | |
| Holocene | Canada (Nunavut) | Falco rusticolus (229484) |