Aplomado Falcon

Photo by aplomado2u
Tlacotalpan, Veracruz, Mexico.

Photo by arthurgrosset
São Paulo, Brazil.

Falco femoralis

Identification:

Length 15-18" (38-45.5 cm), wingspan 40-48" (102-122 cm). Like a small, long-tailed, boldly patterned Peregrine Falcon with white trailing edge on inner flight feathers. Adult blue-grey above, with bold "moustache" on face, white eyebrow, and black stripe through eye. Nape rusty; throat white; upper breast buff with heavy streaks; lower breast and flanks black; thighs and belly cinnamon. Young birds brown above, streaked on breast, plain brown on flanks.

Distribution

Southwest United States, Mexico through Central America, and South America to Terra del Fuego. Aplomado Falcon is extinct in its range of the USA which included parts of Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona; The Peregrine Fund is reintroducing the species^[1].

Taxonomy

There are 3 subspecies^[2];

• F f femoralis
• F f septentrionalis
• F f pichinchae

Habitat

The Aplomado Falcon inhabits partially open areas such as savanna, shrub-land, grassland with nearby trees, etc. from lowlands to above the treeline.

Behaviour

Aplomado Falcons feed on birds, mammals, reptiles, and insects. They often hunt from a perch such as a low bush or fence post up to a tall cactus or telephone pole. From there, it will approach prey in low flight. Often attracted to fires where prey are easy.

Vocalisation

A rapid series of sounds described in different sources with different lettering, but described as having a whistled quality.

References

1. The Peregrine Fund
2. Clements, James F. 2007. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to October 2007. Ithaca: Cornell University Press. ISBN 9780801445019
3. Restall et al. 2006. Birds of Northern South America. Yale University Press. ISBN 9780300124156

External Links

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