![]() ![]() The pale belly is washed with orange and pleasantly spotted with small, black polka dots.įemales are rusty orange above with black barring on the wings and tail. The tail is also rusty orange with black tips. Males have grey-blue wings and a rusty orange back with black barring. American Kestrel Image: bemtec | Īmerican Kestrels-the smallest falcon in North America-also happen to be the most colorful. Ok, enough chit-chat… let’s take a look at the 4 types of falcons you’ll find in the state of Florida! 1. Most falcons hunt early in the morning and late in the evenings-the same times as the morning and evening choruses of songbirds and the hours they are most active. Their wicked fast speeds are nearly impossible to outfly. They pursue them from behind, sometimes forcing them way up into the sky to tire them out, and then diving down on the weary bird. The 4 species of falcons in Floridaįalcons are often thought to be related to other birds of prey, such as hawks, but recent genetic studies show that they share a very close relation to parrots, and both falcons and parrots share a common ancestor with songbirds! Taxonomy and evolution is a weird world, isn’t it?ĭespite their relation to songbirds, falcons often eat them by taking them in flight. There is much crossbreeding in the falconry world, which makes it difficult to identify escaped birds. They were historically used by royalty, and even today are still very expensive, costing thousands of dollars. They are excellent fliers and predators, making them a formidable bird of prey.īecause of their speed and excellent predation skills, falcons have long since been used by humans for hunting, thus the birth of the term and sport, falconry. The term “falcon” comes from the word “falcate”, meaning sickle-shaped, which describes their pointed wing silhouettes. Hopefully you will gain insight to identifying them and learn some fun facts! (Don’t worry, there won’t be any crossbred birds here.)įalcons are recognized by their pointed wings, strong chests, and hooked bills. ![]() Juveniles resemble the female in plumage and patternation although often slightly darker overall.In this article, we’ll discuss the species of falcons in Florida. Facial markings, eye colour and bill are similar to the male. ![]() The upper tail is marked with up to four or five creamy bands and there are pale edges to the flight feathers. Adult female merlins are up to 30% larger than the adult male and overall are much darker in colour being dark brown above with cream underparts, heavily streaked with brown. The area on the bill from the nostrils to the base also known as the cere, is yellow and the legs are pale orange with black talons. The eyes are dark brown and the bill is grey and hooked with a dark tip. The sides of the breast and the leg feathers have a pale rusty brown hue. The male’s underparts are a buff orange with black streaks and the undertail coverts are a creamy white. The neck is buff as are the cheeks and there is a white striped area above the eye. The body is small but proportionate and the head is also small and almost square. Other birds in the Falcons family What does a Merlin look like?Īdult male merlins have a slate grey head and upperparts, including the tail, which is banded near its end by a broad black strip. ![]()
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