Merlin
Falco columbarius
Falcons and Caracaras (Falconidae) · Falconiformes (Falconiformes)
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Often mixed up with
In quizzes, players most often confuse Merlin with these birds— either this species was picked by mistake, or the other way around.
| Species | Mix-ups |
|---|---|
| Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus | 38 |
| Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus | 26 |
| Eurasian Hobby Falco subbuteo | 23 |
| Red-footed Falcon Falco vespertinus | 22 |
| Gyr Falcon Falco rusticolus | 16 |
Family
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 and is divided into three subfamilies: Herpetotherinae, which includes the laughing falcon and the forest falcons; Polyborinae, which includes the spot-winged falconet and the caracaras; and Falconinae, the true falcons, hobbies and kestrels (Falco) and the falconets (Microhierax).
Order
The order Falconiformes () is represented by the extant family Falconidae (falcons and caracaras) and a handful of enigmatic Paleogene species. Traditionally, most other diurnal bird of prey families Cathartidae (New World vultures and condors), Sagittariidae (secretarybird), Pandionidae (ospreys), and Accipitridae (hawks) were classified in Falconiformes. A variety of comparative genome analyses published since 2008, however, found that falcons are part of a clade of birds called Australaves, which also includes seriemas, parrots and passerines.