Falconidae
Kestrels (Falco tinnunculus)
The Falk -like ( Falconidae ) are an almost worldwide occurring family of small to medium-sized birds. The family includes 10-12 genera and 67 species. Known species that are native to Germany and Central Europe, are the kestrel (Falco tinnunculus), the Eurasian Hobby (Falco subbuteo) and the peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus).
Dissemination
Falk Family live on all continents except Antarctica and are missing only in the glaciated interior of Greenland, other Arctic islands such as Svalbard, Franz Josef Land, the northern island of Novaya Zemlya, the Sedov Islands, in the central rainforests of the Congo Basin and on some oceanic islands. In general, the larger species in rather cold or temperate climates, while smaller species are rather tropical living. The greatest diversity of species there are in Central and South America, where, in particular laughter and forest falcons ( Herpetotherinae ) and gerfalcons ( Polyborinae ) occur, and in Africa where there are only 17 there brooding species of the genus Falco.
Features
Falk Family have small, lightweight body and with the exception of Caracaras a short neck. The important for the flight chest muscles makes 12-20 % from ( the peregrine ) of body weight. Flight silhouette of animals has long crescent wings, usually without the " Fingerung " which is typical of other birds of prey. The plumage of the Falk -type is brown, nut -colored, gray, black or white, usually banded or stained and with a few exceptions, such as when Gelbkehlkarakara ( Daptrius ater), not shiny. In some forest falcons occur melanistic or pure red-brownish morphs. Tropical species often have a more striking plumage than those from temperate regions. Change Falk -like plumage usually in a comprehensive annual moult in which the small and large plumage is completely replaced. It usually takes place during the breeding season. The springs are successively replaced after a certain characteristic of the family order. It starts on both wings with the fourth primary feather, seen from the inside, and is from then on both sides of succession continued. Also the change of plumage on the tail begins at the inner spring pair. The eye color of most of the Falk -like is brown, bare parts of the head, dark circles and the legs are often yellow and sometimes gray. The nostrils are surrounded by a fleshy area and round, oval, at the Caracaras also a slot. The beak is small, bent the upper beak bird of prey down. In contrast to the Accipitridae, which kill their prey with fangs, use falcons to the beak. Therefore small beaks and strong jaw muscles enable a powerful bite. The Gelbkehlkarakara ( Daptrius ater) and the Bergkarakaras ( Phalcoboenus ) that feed on more omnivorous, have little curved, almost like chicken beaks.
The smallest falcon, the Finkenfälkchen ( Microhierax fringillarius ) and the Weißscheitelfälkchen ( Microhierax latifrons ) weigh only 35 grams and reach wing lengths 89-105 mm. The largest, living in the far north gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus ) reaches a weight from 1.15 to 1.7 kg, and a wingspan of between one and 1.31 meters.
Outer systematics
Falk Family were as carnivore birds with typical body and beak shape traditionally associated with the order of the birds of prey. The type genus of the traditional order is Falco ( Falcon ), and its scientific name is Falconiformes. It contained, in addition to the Falk -like ( Falconidae ), the Accipitridae ( Accipitridae ), the osprey ( only genus of the family Pandionidae ), the secretary (the only genus of the family Sagittariidae ) and the New World vultures ( Cathartidae ).
Recent phylogenetic studies based on DNA only to come to the conclusion that the Falk -like detail with the parrots ( Psittaciformes ) and passerines ( Passeriformes ) are used as with the other families of the traditional birds of prey. The typical features of the Falk -like bird of prey would thus emerged convergent. The traditionally the Falconiformes costs added families of predatory birds have therefore been separated from that taxon and now form a separate group. The group of the falcon -like, with the type genus Falco, retains the scientific name Falconiformes and contains only the family Falconidae. The other " raptors " get to the genus Accipiter (Accipiter ) the new scientific name Accipitriformes.
The probable kinship provides the following cladogram is:
Birds of prey ( Accipitriformes )
Owls ( Strigiformes )
Mousebirds ( Coliiformes )
Coraciiformes ( Coraciiformes ) and Related
Seriemas ( Cariamiformes )
Falk behaved ( Falconiformes )
Parrots ( Psittaciformes )
Passerines ( Passeriformes )
Inside systematics
The Falk -like, are each subdivided by author in two, three or four subfamilies. Broad consensus is that the South American gerfalcons ( Polyborinae ) are separated as a separate subfamily from the other falcon -like.
Subfamily laughing falcons and hawks forest ( Herpetotherinae )
- Laughing Falcon ( Herpetotheres ) Laughing Falcon ( Herpetotheres cachinnans )
- Barred Forest- Falcon ( Micrastur ruficollis )
- Blei-Waldfalke/Einbinden-Waldfalke ( Micrastur plumbeus )
- Minto Forest-Falcon ( Micrastur mintoni )
- Two-banded Forest Falcon ( Micrastur gilvicollis )
- Slaty-backed Forest-Falcon ( Micrastur mirandollei )
- Cap Forest-Falcon ( Micrastur semitorquatus )
- Traylorwaldfalke ( Micrastur buckleyi )
Subfamily gerfalcons ( Caracaras ) ( Polyborinae )
- Gelbkehlkarakaras ( Daptrius ) Gelbkehlkarakara ( Daptrius ater)
- Rotkehlkarakara ( Ibycter americanus)
- Southern Caracara ( Caracara plancus )
- † Guadalupe Caracara ( Caracara Lutosa )
- Karibikkarakara ( Caracara cheriway )
- † Caracara tellustris
- Chimangokarakara ( Milvago chimango )
- Gelbkopfkarakara ( Milvago chimachima )
- Streifenkarakara ( Phalcoboenus carunculatus )
- Bergkarakara ( Phalcoboenus megalopterus )
- Weißkehlkarakara ( Phalcoboenus albogularis )
- Striated Caracara ( Phalcoboenus australis)
Subfamily Actual falcons (Falco Ninae )
- Falcon (Falco ) - 39 species
Subfamily merlins ( Polihieracinae )
- Actual merlins ( Microhierax ) - 5 types Rotkehlfälkchen ( Microhierax caerulescens )
- Finkenfälkchen ( Microhierax fringillarius )
- Weißscheitelfälkchen ( Microhierax latifrons )
- Zweifarbenfälkchen ( Microhierax erythrogenys )
- Elsterfälkchen ( Microhierax melanoleucus )
- Long-tailed merlin ( Neohierax insignis )
- Drop merlin ( Spiziapteryx circumcinctus )
- Collar - merlin ( Polihierax semitorquatus )
Phylogeny
A first proof of the family in the form of fragmentary remains of a bird smaller than the authentics merlins ( Microhierax ) was there from the lower Eocene of England 55 million years ago. Better documented is a fossil from France, from the upper Eocene, 36 million years. The first evidence from North and South America there are from the Miocene epoch, about 23 million years ago. Below is Badiostes, an early representative of the Caracaras and also members of the large genus Falco. Since all Falco species are closely related to each other, one assumes a rapid Adaptive radiation in the Pliocene and Pleistocene. In the Pleistocene can be detected 20 extant species.