Falcons and caracaras | Falconidae

Valken en caracara's | Halcones y caracaras

Despite a lifestyle that closely resembles that of hawks, falcons are placed by DNA evidence closer to the parrots and songbirds. During high-speed stoops, small conical bumps inside the nostrils protect the lungs from the enormous air pressure, while a third, translucent eyelid slides across the eye like built-in goggles without blocking vision. The caracaras within the family break sharply from this picture: they are largely ground-hunting scavengers that forage on foot, with long legs and an upright stance, and bare facial skin similar to that of the vultures they sometimes feed alongside. Unlike most birds of prey, some falcons cache part of an abundant catch, tucking the remainder of the prey into vegetation to eat later.