The next family in this order is the eponymous Falconidae, the Falcons.... and the Caracaras. Caracara's don't look even remotely like falcons, however, since I don't have a good photo of a typical falcon, here's a Crested Caracara - Caracara cheriway. Falcons are lithe and powerful, with some of the sharpest eyes in the animal kingdom. Characterized by a generally slim body and long, pointed wings, falcons are often considered the most beautiful of raptors. All typical falcons are bird predators. They use their amazing speed and maneuverability to attack other birds in mid-air. Some like the American Kestrel - Falco sparverious, specialize on small birds, but most can take a bird nearly as large as they are. The largest falcons can take even grouse and ducks. The most well known falcon is the Peregrine Falcon - Falco peregrinus. Two decades ago, this species was on the brink of extinction due to egg-shell thinning DDT. Large, and unlike many falcons, bulky, this bird is one of the fastest animals on Earth. When diving after prey, these falcons have been known to reach 200 mph! Of old (and still places today), falcons were used to catch other birds by humans, known as Falconry. In the Middle Ages the burgeoise were the only one allowed to use falcons, and your place in the social hierarchy determined which species of falcon you could use. Merlins and Peregrines were used by the royal family, but the King was the only one allowed to own the largest of all the falcons: the Gyrfalcon - Falco rusticolus, and it was worth more than its weight in gold. This incredibly beautiful bird comes in several forms, including an icelandic form that is pure white with black markings, it's a Red-tailed Hawk-sized bird though much sleeker. This is a circumpolar bird, seldom ranging any further south in North America than Canada!
Caracaras, on the other hand, are not graceful. They are large, bulky, and have nearly squared-off wings. They feed on roadkill and carrion in general. There is only one species in North America, with a distribution in the south-west and Texas, and a disjunct population in central Florida. I don't know much about them....
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