Falconidae

Falcons and caracaras Temporal range: Oligocene – Holocene, 30.2–0 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Brown falcon (Falco berigora)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Falconiformes
Family:	Falconidae Leach, 1819
Type genus
Falco Linnaeus, 1758
Subfamilies
Herpetotherinae Polyborinae Falconinae

The falcons and caracaras are around 65 species of diurnal birds of prey that make up the family Falconidae (representing all extant species in the order Falconiformes). The family likely originated in South America during the Paleocene^[1] and is divided into three subfamilies: Herpetotherinae, which includes the laughing falcon and forest falcons; Polyborinae, which includes the spot-winged falconet and the caracaras; and Falconinae, the falcons and kestrels (Falco) and falconets (Microhierax).