falcon common name for members of the Falconidae, a heterogeneous family of long-winged birds of prey closely related to the hawk . Falcons (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... Read more