Buckley's Forest-Falcon
Micrastur buckleyi
Elusive falcon of lowland and foothill rainforest east of the Andes. Note black upperparts, white underparts, white hindcollar, and dull yellow face. Female may show white spots on wings. Immature is barred underneath with brownish nape. Adult is very similar to pale morph Collared Forest-Falcon but slightly smaller; ID is best confirmed by voice. Typical song of Buckley’s is “kawah, koh”, sometimes followed by a lower “koh” note. Usually stays inside forest and is infrequently seen.
Identification
Buckley's forest falcon is 41 to 51 cm (16 to 20 in) long. Its wingspan is 61 to 72 cm (24 to 28 in). Adult males have black upperparts with a white collar. Their cheeks, throat, and underparts are white and unmarked. Their tail is black with three narrow white bars on the inner feathers and four on the outer ones. Their iris is dark brown, their cere, lores, and bare skin around the eye are dull greenish, and their legs and feet are yellowish. Adult females are like males with the addition of white spots on their scapulars and secondaries. Juveniles are also black above but have a buffy breast and dark bars on the belly.
Taxonomy
Buckley's forest falcon was previously considered to be a variant of the collared forest falcon (M. semitorquatus). The two of them and the slaty-backed forest falcon (M. mirandollei) are sister species. It is monotypic.
- Scientific name
- Micrastur buckleyi
- Authority
- Swann, 1919
- Order
- Falconiformes
- Family
- Falconidae
- Genus
- Micrastur
Range and habitat
Buckley's forest falcon is known from only a few specimens, photographs, and sightings. It has been documented in Bolivia, extreme western Brazil, eastern Ecuador, and eastern Peru. A few sight records in Colombia and Venezuela lead the South American Classification Committee of the American Ornithological Society to classify it as hypothetical in those two countries. Most of the records are from lowland tropical and subtropical forest at elevations between 100 and 700 m (300 and 2,300 ft) but one specimen was collected at 1,800 m (5,900 ft) in Ecuador and there is a record at 1,350 m (4,400 ft) in Peru.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Buckley's forest falcon is assumed to be a year-round resident.<p>Almost nothing is known about the diet or hunting technique of Buckley's forest falcon. One specimen had a small Mesomys arboreal rat in its stomach. The species' small feet suggest that birds are only a minor part of its diet.<p>Sightings of Buckley's forest falcon fledglings suggest that its breeding season includes April to early August. Nothing else is known about its breeding biology though it is assumed to nest in tree cavities like other Micrastur forest falcons.<p>The most common Buckley's forest falcon vocalization is "a far-carrying, nasal "eeok, oow" or "eeok, oow...ow", repeated...for long periods, mainly at dawn." It also occasionally makes "a long rising series of "kaw" notes followed by 2-3 falling "aauw" notes".
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
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