ABSTRACT
Falcons have long been believed to be closely allied to hawks given similarities of a hooked beak, a cere, and legs and feet with strong claws. Recent accumulating genetic evidence points to the contrary, placing falcons as closely related to parrots and Passeriformes. Falcons follow the Complex Basic Strategy, with wing molts initiating at p4–p5, s5, or both synchronously and proceeding in both directions simultaneously, with last feathers to be replaced including p10, p1, s1, and among s9–s13, but some falcons also have a node at the second or innermost tertial and replace proximally. Prebasic molts are usually complete, but may sometimes retain a few less covs or body feathers. At least in North American species, the prebasic molt often begins during breeding and may often suspend during the chick feeding period, creating suspension limits among feathers of the same generation. Forest-falcons are the most regularly captured falcon at Neotropical forest banding stations, but their molt has been largely unstudied.
