Falcons belong to the family Falconidae, which also includes the Caracaras, Laughing falcon, Falconets, Pygmy falcon, and Forest falcons. Found all over the world, falcons are swift fliers, and feed on live birds and small terrestrial vertebrates. They fly at higher altitudes, and on spotting a prey below, swoop down at an incredible speed (close to 200 mph) to catch unsuspecting prey. They have a very powerful eyesight, which is 2.6 times stronger than that of humans. Adult falcons have thin, tapered wings, that enable them to change directions quickly and effortlessly during flight. They are solitary birds, and come together only for mating. Some species are migratory. The family Falconidae, to which falcons belong, is a large family that comprises several species of birds. However, in this Buzzle article, we shall focus on the members of the subfamily Falco, which are known as the 'true falcons'. True falcons are further classified under three groups:

• Falcons
• Kestrels
• Hobbies

Falcons Falcons are the largest and most powerful birds, that belong to the genus Falco, and include bird species like the Peregrine falcon and the Gyrfalcon, the latter being the largest member of the falcon family. Most members of this group are characterized by a gray to brown plumage. The hierofalcons (hawk falcons) comprise a group of four species that are closely related, namely, the Gyrfalcon, Laggar falcon, Lanner falcon, and Saker falcon. Here is the list of all species of birds that fall under this group, along with their distribution and conservation status. Kestrels Kestrels are the smallest birds in the falcon family, and feed on small terrestrial vertebrates and invertebrates, such as rodents and reptiles. Here are the species of birds that are classified under this group. Hobbies The hobbies are slightly larger than the kestrels but smaller than the falcons. This group has four species of birds. As you can see, there are several species of falcons found all over the world. Destruction of natural habitat has taken many of these species to the verge of extinction. We should create awareness and do whatever we can to save these beautiful, yet ferocious birds of prey.