A falcon (/ˈfɔːlkən, ˈfæl-/) is any one of 37 species of raptors in the genus Falco, widely distributed on all continents of the world except Antarctica.
Adult falcons have thin, tapered wings, which enable them to fly at high speed and to change direction rapidly. Fledgling falcons, in their first year of flying, have longer flight feathers, which make their configuration more like that of a general-purpose bird such as a broadwing. This makes it easier to fly while learning the exceptional skills required to be effective hunters as adults.
The falcons are the largest genus in the Falconinae subfamily of Falconidae, which itself also includes another subfamily comprising caracaras and a few other species. All these birds kill with their beaks, using a "tooth" on the side of their beaks — unlike the hawks, eagles, and other birds of prey in Accipitridae, which use their feet.
Peregrine falcons have been recorded diving at speeds of 200 miles per hour (320 km/h), making them the fastest-moving creatures on Earth. Other falcons include the gyrfalcon, lanner falcon, and merlin. Some small falcons with long, narrow wings are called hobbies, and some which hover while hunting are called kestrels.
Falcons are a genus of raptor (bird of prey).
Falcons may also refer to:
The Falcons – better known by their Afrikaans name the Valke and currently known as the Hino Valke for sponsorship reasons – are a South African rugby union team in Gauteng province that participates in the annual Currie Cup and Vodacom Cup tournaments.
Their home ground is currently Barnard Stadium in Kempton Park, to which they have returned in 2009. The Falcons have operated out of both Bosman Stadium in Brakpan and Pam Brink Stadium in Springs. They occasionally still host matches at Bosman Stadium. The Falcons draw players from Ekurhuleni and other municipalities to the east and south of Johannesburg.
The Falcons Rugby Union was originally founded in 1947, and was previously known as the Eastern Transvaal Rugby Football Union. After the 1995 World Cup, rugby was declared a professional sport in South Africa, after which the Eastern Transvaal Rugby Football Union merged with the Vaal Triangle Rugby Union to form the Gauteng Falcons Rugby Union and are one of only fourteen Provincial Unions in the country.
Molly, Mollie or mollies may refer to:
Molly is a two-part Australian miniseries about music legend Molly Meldrum. Aired on the Seven Network, the first part premiered on 7 February 2016, with the second and final half screening on 14 February. It is based on Meldrum's biography, The Never, Um ... Ever Ending Story, which was written with journalist Jeff Jenkins.
Molly is based on the life of Ian "Molly" Meldrum, who became one of the most influential and powerful names in Australian music. The series follows the rise of Meldrum from small beginnings in Quambatook to becoming one of the biggest names in Australian music. Along with hosting the high-rating TV series Countdown, Meldrum's accessible personality and passion for music saw him become an essential figure of the Australian music scene in the 1970s, '80s and beyond.
"Molly (16 Candles Down the Drain)" is a song by American rock band Sponge, released in 1995 as the second single from their debut album Rotting Piñata. It also serves as the name of the band's greatest hits album, which was released in 2000. It was originally titled "Molly" on Rotting Piñata, but was elongated for its release as a single. It was ostensibly named after actress Molly Ringwald, who starred in Sixteen Candles. However, it was actually inspired by a story one of the band members heard about a girl who fell in love with one of her teachers shortly before her 16th birthday, who then attempted to commit suicide via an overdose of ecstasy after he rejected her, hence "16 candles down the drain." "Molly" is a more pure form of MDMA than street ecstasy.
To date, it is the band's only song to appear on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, having peaked at number 55 in August 1995. It is the band's highest-charting song on the Modern Rock Tracks chart, where it was a top three hit. The song also reached number 11 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.