Laughing falcon

Herpetotheres cachinnans

Photo by Joaquim Mello (Flickr)

Common name:
laughing falcon (en); acauã (pt); macagua rieur (fr); halcón reidor (es); lachfalke (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Falconiformes
Family Falconidae

Range:
This species is found from Mexico, throughout Central America and into South America as far south as Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, southern Brazil and marginally into northern Argentina.

Size:
These birds are 46-56 cm long and have a wingspan of 79-94 cm. The females tend to be larger than the males, weighing 600-800 g while the males weigh 410-680 g.

Habitat:
The laughing falcon is mostly found in along the edges of forested areas, including both moist and dry tropical forests, as well as swamp forests and dry savannas.They are often found in secondary forests, forest clearings and also in open areas with scattered trees, usually avoiding the forest interior. They can also be found in palm groves. This species is present from sea level up to an altitude of 2.400 m.

Diet:
They mainly feed on small snakes, including venemous species such as coral snakes on which they pound on from a perch. They are also known to occasionally take lizards, bats, rodents, centipedes and even fish.

Breeding:
Laughing falcons are probably monogamous. The breeding season varies across its range and they nest in a rock crevice, tree cavity or on an abandoned nest of other raptors, up to 33 m above the ground and usually away from immediate vegetation. There the female lays 1-2 white eggs with brown spots, which she incubates alone for 40-42 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and leave the nest about 1 month after hatching but continue to be taken care by the parents for some time longer.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has an extremely large breeding range. The population is estimated at 500.000-5.000.000 individuals and is known to have declined drastically locally but is still common in many areas.

Mauritius kestrel

Falco punctatus

Photo by Andy Jones (Flickr)

Common name:
Mauritius kestrel (en); peneireiro-das-Maurícias (pt); crécerelle de Maurice (fr); cernícalo de Mauricio (es); Mauritiusfalke (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Falconiformes
Family Falconidae

Range:
This species is endemic to the island of Mauritius, in the Indian Ocean, where it is mainly restricted to the south-western plateau.

Size:
These birds are 20-26 cm long and have a wingspan of around 45 cm. They weigh around 110 g.

Habitat:
The Mauritius kestrel is mainly found in sub-tropical evergreen forests, but an also be seen in degraded and open areas, such as secondary forests and savannas, grasslands and scrublands. They tend to avoid agricultural areas, possibly due to a lack of isolated mature trees to use as vantage points. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 800 m.

Diet:
They mainly prey on the endemic arboreal Phelsuma geckos, but also take small birds, insects and introduced mice and shrews.

Breeding:
Mauritius kestrels are monogamous and territorial, and breed in November-March. They nest in cavities in trees or rocks, or more recently in nests boxes, where the female lays 4-5 white eggs with brown speckles. The eggs are incubated for 28-39 days and the chicks fledge about 5 weeks after hatching and stay in the natal territory until the next breeding season.

Conservation:
IUCN status - VU (Vulnerable)
This species has a small breeding range and a global population estimated at just 250-300 individuals. The current population trend in uncertain, but it may be declining after an increase detected in the last decade. Since the colonizationof the island, deforestation has reduced the forest area in Mauritius to less than 3% of the original, which as greatly limited habitat availability for this species. More recently, the main threats affecting the Mauritius kestrel are poisoning by organochloride pesticide, nest predation by introduced predators such as black rats Rattus rattus, crab-eating macaques Macaca fascicularis, Indian mongooses Herpestes javanicus and feral cats, and high rates of inbreeding due to the small population size. The introduction of exotic plants may also reduce habitat quality and climate change may affect this species through changes in rain patterns. Conservation actions such as supplementary feeding, captive breeding, construction of nest-boxes and nest protection have had some limited success in halting population declines.

Collared falconet

Microhierax caerulescens

Photo by Guy Poisson (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
collared falconet (en); falcãozinho-de-colar (pt); fauconnet à collier (fr); falconete acollarado (es); rotkehlfälkchen (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Falconiformes
Family Falconidae

Range:
This species is found in from Nepal, southern China ans northern India, through Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar, and into southern Vietnam and Thailand.

Size:
This tiny falcon is 15-18 cm long and has a wingspan of 30-34 cm. They weigh 35-50 g.

Habitat:
The collared falconet is found in deciduous and evergreen forests, and in open woodlands, especially in forests clearing and along forest edges. They are present at altitudes of 200-800 m.

Diet:
They mainly feed on insects, especially butterflies, but also dragonflies, lantern flies, grasshoppers, beetles, and cicadas. They are also known to hunt small forest birds and lizards.

Breeding:
Collared falconets breed in February-May. They nest in old woodpecker or barbet nests, lined with dry leaves, usually 6-12 m above the ground. There the female lays 4-5 white eggs, sometimes with small reddish spots. The female is responsible for most of the incubation and the chicks are fed by both the breeding pair and up to 3 other adults. There is no information regarding the length of the incubation and fledging periods.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as common in parts of its range. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

New Zealand falcon

Falco novaeseelandiae

Photo by Steve Attwood (Steve X2)

Common name:
New Zealand falcon (en); falcão-maori (pt); faucon de Nouvelle-Zélande (fr); halcón maorí (es); maorifalke (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Falconiformes
Family Falconidae


Range:
This species is endemic to New Zealand, being found in both the North Island and the South Island, as well as in Stewart Island and its outliers, and the Auckland Islands.


Size:
These birds are 36-48 cm long and have a wingspan of 66-91 cm. They weigh 420-600 g.


Habitat:
The New Zealand falcon is mostly found in forests and scrublands, but also grasslands, pastures and rough farmland. They occur from sea level up to an altitude of 2.100 m.


Diet:
They mostly hunt birds, up to the size of a heron or duck, but will also hunt small mammals up to the size of a hare, insects, small reptiles and will sometimes also eat carrion.


Breeding:
These birds breed in September-February. The nest in a simple scraped hollow on a sheltered cliff edge, in an epiphyte high in a tree, or on the ground under a log or bush. There the female lays 2-4 reddish brown eggs, which are incubated by both parents for 29-35 days. The chicks fledge 32-35 days after hatching, but only become fully independent 3 months later. Each pair raises a single brood per season.


Conservation:
IUCN status - NT (Near Threatened)
The New Zealand falcon has a relatively large breeding range and the global population size is estimated at 2.500-10.000 individuals. The population is suspected to be in decline due to habitat destruction through forest clearance, human persecution especially by pigeon and poultry keepers, and egg predation by the introduced brush-tailed possum Trichosurus vulpecula.

Southern crested caracara

Caracara plancus

Photo by Luis Argerich (Wikipedia)

Common name:

southern crested caracara (en); caracará (pt); caracara huppé (fr); carancho (es); schopfkarakara (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Falconiformes

Family Falconidae

Range:

This South American species if found from central Peru and Bolivia, east to the Amazon Delta, in Brazil, and south through Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina all the way to Tuerra del Fuego. they are also found in the Falkland islands.

Size:

These birds are 50-65 cm long and have a wingspan of 120-144 cm. They weigh 0,9-1,6 kg.

Habitat:

Southern crested caracaras are found in virtually any open or semi-open habitat within range, generally avoiding dense humid forests. They are often found in agricultural areas and near human settlements, and can also be found in marshes and swamps.

Diet:

These birds are opportunistic feeders, eating a wide range of carrion and live animals, particularly road kills. They will often follow plows and tractors to obtain exposed food items and can also eat marine turtle eggs, bird eggs and nestlings, and even feed on vegetable matter, including peanuts, beans, avocados, and palm fruits. They are also known to attack newborn lambs and are kleptoparasitic, robbing food from other bird species.

Breeding:

Southern crested caracaras breed in May-February. The nest is made of crude banches and lined with animal hair. It is generally placed on the top of a tall tree, although when trees are not available they are also known to nest on the ground. The female lays 2-3 whitish to reddish-orange eggs with brown spots, which are incubated for 28-32 days. Typically only 1 chick is fledged, leaving the nest around 3 months after hatching.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least concern)

This species has a very large breeding range and is described as common. The population is suspected to be increasing owing to creation of suitable habitat through deforestation and increased cattle-ranching and sheep-rearing