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name generally applied to the smaller members of the Accipitridae, a heterogeneous family of diurnal birds of prey, such as the eagle, the kite, and the Old World vulture.
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 but genetically more closely related to the parrots and other birds. True falcons and their close relatives (genus Falco) range in size from the 6 1-2-in. (16.5-cm) falconet to the 24-in. (60-cm) gyrfalcon, and in habits from the swift merlin to the sluggish caracara. True falcons, distinguished by their notched beaks, are widely distributed. In flight their wingbeats are rapid and powerful, and they swoop hundreds of feet at speeds of up to 200 mph (320 kph) to capture their prey—chiefly birds and small mammals. They kill cleanly, usually breaking the back of their victim. Some members of the falcon family eat insects; the long-legged caracaras (found in South America, with one species, the northern, or crested, caracara ranging to the extreme S United States) feed also on carrion and sometimes rob other birds of their prey. The cosmopolitan peregrine falcon and the gyrfalcon of the arctic tundra have been much used in falconryfalconry
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. The commonest and smallest American falcon is the American kestrel, or sparrow hawk, F. sparverius (related to the European kestrel). Others are the merlin, or pigeon hawk (related to the European merlin), and the prairie falcon. Falcons build no nests but lay their eggs on the ground, on cliff ledges, or in the abandoned nests of hawks and crows. Falcons are classified in the phylum ChordataChordata
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, subphylum Vertebrata, class Aves, order Falconiformes.

What does it mean when you dream about a falcon?

Falcons and hawks have many of the same associations as eagles (e.g., nobility, high aspirations), although the culturally familiar image of a blindfolded falcon resting on a huntsman’s glove brings additional connotations—hunting, temporary blindness, capture/control, and so forth—into play.


(vertebrate zoology)
Any of the highly specialized diurnal birds of prey composing the family Falconidae; these birds have been captured and trained for hunting.


A U.S. Air Force air-to-air guided missile having either radar or infrared homing guidance, a speed of about Mach 2, and a range of about 5 miles (8 kilometers); can be carried in quantity by interceptor aircraft.


1. any diurnal bird of prey of the family Falconidae, esp any of the genus Falco (gyrfalcon, peregrine falcon, etc.), typically having pointed wings and a long tail
a. any of these or related birds, trained to hunt small game
b. the female of such a bird (compare tercel)
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The Joint Typhoon Warning Center and Japan Meteorological Agency, however, said Falcon made a sudden turn north as it was about to make landfall.
In addition to having the top brand names in luxury and rare vehicles, Falcon Car Rental also carries multiple body styles and colors of each of their vehicles.
The EAD also encouraged all falconers and wildlife enthusiasts to participate in the release programme by donating their wild falcons to the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital.
The Falcon 2000 twin-engine business aircraft has long been popular with Indian operators for its reliability, cabin comfort, hot-and-high capability and low operating cost.
26 (BNA): Saudi Falcons Club launched King Abdulaziz Festival of Falconry at its first edition here today.
The Falcon 8X can fly nonstop from New York to Dubai, Dubai to Adelaide and Jeddah to Sao Paulo yet easily access short runway airports like London City, Gstaad and Lugano in Switzerland and Cannes, France that are typically off limits to big business jets.
Over the next few days, trackers in Russia kept WWF Pakistan posted on the satellite position of the falcon, which was taken to Zhob and pinpointed its last location to a house in the village of Kolachi, D.I.
Overall 11 Laggar falcons, besides nets, tape recorders and guns were recovered from the poachers.
The Falcon Heavy's maiden mission is a trip to an orbit around Mars, where it will carry as its payload Musk's own cherry-red Tesla Roadster, which would fittingly play David Bowie's "Space Oddity" (though how long the power supply would keep the music up is not known).