FALCON, the name applied to the long-winged birds of prey which take their quarry as it moves. As in all the group of diurnal birds of prey, the female is larger than the male. As type of the family Falconidae may be taken the peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), and the scarcely separable duck-hawk (F. ana tum) of North America and F. melanogenys of Australia. The peregrine falcon inhabits practi cally every part of the world, ex cept where it is replaced by its allies noticed above. For its size, it is perhaps the most powerful bird of prey that flies, and its courage is as great as its power. Famous in the days of hawking (see FALCONRY), the plumage of this bird is blackish-blue above and white with a more or less deep cream-coloured tinge below, barred, except on the chin and throat, with black. It nests on cliffs and trees, laying four or five eggs mottled with reddish-brown.
The gyrfalcon (F. gyrfalco) is larger and inhabits the Scandi navian mountains. The Iceland falcon (F. islandus), which also inhabits South Greenland, is paler, while the Greenland falcon (F. candicans) is white with dark streaks. The kindred F. labra dorus of North-east America is very dark both above and below.
The "desert" falcons differ from the preceding in that they retain the longitudinal barring on the breast throughout life, in stead of changing it after the first moult to transverse bars. They include in the Old World the lanner (F. biarmicus), the Baker (F. cherrug) and the lugger, or lugger (F. jugger), of India; in the New, the prairie falcon (F. rnexicanus) of the western plains of North America.
The hobby falcons are characterized by their bold upstanding position and long wings. The beautiful little English hobby (F. subbeto) lives mainly on insects and is a summer visitor to most parts of Europe. Many other species are known. See MERLIN, KESTREL.
A falcon is also a primitive light gun, 21in. bore, weighing about 6cwt., and firing a alb. shot. It takes its name from the bird of prey in accordance with an old fashion (Cf. FALCONET, MUSKET).