A brief description of the falcons including habits, preferred food, geographical distributon, identifying characteristics, and use by humans.
Falcons belong to the birds of prey, or raptors (family Falconidae). They are found everywhere on earth, except in the African rain forests and Antarctica. Falcons feed on insects and small animals, including birds smaller than themselves. They are recognizable in flight by their long tails, pointed wing tips and the habit of suddenly dropping into a dive when they spot prey below them. Most do not build nests but lay eggs in an abandoned nest, hollow tree, or a hollow in a cliff. Falcons have been trained for hunting (falconry) for hundreds of years.
The copyright of the article What is a Falcon? in Birds is owned by Rosemary Drisdelle. Permission to republish What is a Falcon? in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
