Difference between revisions of "Aplomado Falcon" - BirdForum Opus

Latest revision as of 09:42, 7 March 2022

Photo © by aplomado2u
Tlacotalpan, Veracruz, Mexico, Spring 2006

Falco femoralis

Identification:

Photo © by arthurgrosset
São Paulo, Brazil, August 2004

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

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

Subspecies septentrionalis
Photo © by Stanley Jones
Northwest of Laguna Vista, Cameron County, Texas, USA, November 2009

Subspecies

There are 3 subspecies^[2];

F. f. septentrionalis:

Savanna and woodlands of northern Mexico and Guatemala

F. f. femoralis:

Nicaragua and Belize through South America to Tierra del Fuego

F. f. pichinchae:

Temperate Colombia to northern Chile and north-western Argentina

Habitat

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

Behaviour

Diet

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

The Peregrine Fund
Clements, JF. 2011. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to August 2011. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/downloadable-clements-checklist
Restall et al. 2006. Birds of Northern South America. Yale University Press. ISBN 9780300124156
BF Member observations

Recommended Citation

BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Aplomado Falcon. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 18 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Aplomado_Falcon

External Links

Search for photos of Aplomado Falcon in the gallery

GSearch checked for 2020 platform.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+[[Image:Aplomado_Falcon.jpg|thumb|550px|right|Photo &copy; by {{user|aplomado2u|aplomado2u}}<br />Tlacotalpan, Veracruz, [[Mexico]], Spring 2006]]
 ;[[:Category:Falco|Falco]] femoralis
-[[Image:Aplomado_Falcon.jpg|thumb|550px|right|Photo by aplomado2u<br>Tlacotalpan, Veracruz Mexico]]
 ==Identification: ==
--18" (38-45.5 cm). W. 40-48" (102-122 cm). Like a small, long- tailed, boldly patterned Peregrine Falcon. 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.
+[[Image:Aplomado-falcon_by_arthurgrosset.jpg|thumb|400px|right|Photo &copy; by {{user|arthurgrosset|arthurgrosset}}<br />São Paulo, [[Brazil]], August 2004]]
+Length 15-18" (38-45.5 cm), wingspan 40-48" (102-122 cm).<br />
+Like a small, long-tailed, boldly patterned Peregrine Falcon with white trailing edge on inner flight feathers.<br />
+'''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. <br />
+'''Young birds''' brown above, streaked on breast, plain brown on flanks.
 ==Distribution==
-Southwest [[United States]], through [[Central America]], and across most of [[South America]]. These falcons had become extinct in the northern extent of their range. The Peregrine Fund is reintroducing this falcon into its northern range.
+[[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<sup>[[#References|[1]]]</sup>.
 ==Taxonomy==
-There are 3 subspecies;
+[[Image:Aplomado Falcon Cameron County 2.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Subspecies ''septentrionalis''<br />Photo &copy; by {{user|Stanley+Jones|Stanley Jones}}<br />Northwest of Laguna Vista, Cameron County, [[Texas]], [[USA]], November 2009]]
+====Subspecies====
-* ''F f femoralis''
+There are 3 subspecies<sup>[[#References|[2]]]</sup>;
+*''F. f. septentrionalis'':
-* ''F f septentrionalis''
+:*Savanna and woodlands of northern [[Mexico]] and [[Guatemala]]
+*''F. f. femoralis'':
-* ''F f pichinchae''
+:*[[Nicaragua]] and [[Belize]] through [[South America]] to Tierra del Fuego
+*''F. f. pichinchae'':
+:*Temperate [[Colombia]] to northern [[Chile]] and north-western [[Argentina]]
 ==Habitat==
-The Aplomado Falcon inhabits areas of open grassland, savanna, and shrub-steppe from tropical lowlands up to 12,000 feet.
+The Aplomado Falcon inhabits partially open areas such as savanna, shrub-land, grassland with nearby trees, etc. from lowlands to above the treeline. Coastal plains and wetlands
 ==Behaviour==
-Usually found perched on a tall cactus or telephone pole. When it flies off in alarm, or in pursuit of prey, it often dips down and courses low over the ground.  Most active at dawn and dusk.
+[[Image:Falco_femoralis_by_cfiguerero.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Photo &copy; by {{user|cfiguerero|cfiguerero}}<br />Mercedes Ctes, [[Argentina]], April 2010]]
+====Diet====
-Aplomado Falcons feed predominately on birds and insects. These falcons often search for prey from a perch, then swoop down to catch it. Aplomados will also steal food from other raptors and mated pairs will hunt together. Uneaten food will be hidden for later meals.
+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.
-Aplomado Falcons do not build their own nests, but use abandoned stick nests made by other birds. The female most often lays 2 - 3 eggs that are incubated approximately 31 - 32 days. Young birds fledge from 4 - 5 weeks after hatching.
 ====Vocalisation====
-A rapid ''kak-kak-kak-kak''.
+A rapid series of sounds described in different sources with different lettering, but described as having a whistled quality.
+==References==
+#[http://www.peregrinefund.org/Explore_Raptors/falcons/aplomado.html The Peregrine Fund]
+#{{Ref-Clements6thAug11}}# Restall et al. 2006. Birds of Northern South America. Yale University Press. ISBN 9780300124156
+#BF Member observations
+*[http://www.arthurgrosset.com/sabirds/aplomadofalcon.html Arthur Grosset's Birds]
+{{ref}}
 ==External Links==
 {{GSearch|Falco+femoralis}}
 [[Category:Birds]] [[Category:Falco]]
+{{GS-checked}}
+<br />
+<br />