Family Falconidae

Falcons and Caracaras

5 species from the family Falconidae.

Typical settings for this family#

Shutter (still)1/800 s
Shutter (action)1/2500–1/3200 s
Aperturef/6.3–f/8
Size22–60 cm

5 species#

American Kestrel American KestrelFalco sparverius Crested Caracara Crested CaracaraCaracara plancus Merlin MerlinFalco columbarius Peregrine Falcon Peregrine FalconFalco peregrinus Yellow-headed Caracara Yellow-headed CaracaraDaptrius chimachima

Field-craft#

  • Kestrels hover on windy days — a great chance at sharp flight shots.
  • For flight shots use wide-area tracking and +0.3 to +1 EV against bright sky.

Last updated October 03, 2026 · How we calculate · Sources