Large falconiforms are among the longest-lived birds, as shown both by records in captivity and by the slow breeding rates observed in the wild. Where not persecuted, populations of large falconiforms are remarkably stable. Breeding rates correlate with average life spans; i.e., longer-lived species breed slower than shorter-lived ones. The falconiform life cycle consists of the four stages described below, each of which varies mainly according to size—the larger the bird, the longer the stage. Latitude also affects these periods, with longer fledging periods for equatorial species as compared with temperate species of similar size. The fledging period (from hatching ...(100 of 6280 words)