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
Other Birds
White-tailed Trogon
Trogon chionurus
This yellow-bellied trogon is fairly common from Panama to western Ecuador. Males have a dark head and breast with deep indigo iridescence, an iridescent turquoise or purplish back, and a plain white undertail. Females are grayer on the head and breast with a barred undertail that has large white tips on the tail feathers. Note the pale blue eyering. Compare with Gartered Trogon, which has a yellow eyering and different undertail pattern (barred with white tips on males, more black on females). Found singly or in pairs in forests, edges, and gardens up to around 1,000 m. Listen for accelerating series of “pow” notes and purring calls.
Black-capped Tanager
Stilpnia heinei
Small, active tanager with notably different male and female plumages. Male is steely blue overall with slightly darker wings. Look for sea-green throat and cheek, streaked upper breast, and contrasting black cap and nape. Female is mostly lime green with pale bluish head and breast; she has just a ghosting of the male’s black cap. Usually found in pairs, often following a mixed-species flock in the canopy. An Andean species, found in subtropical forest, edges, and gardens. Visits fruit feeders.
Band-tailed Fruiteater
Pipreola intermedia
Chunky green bird with coral red bill and legs. Males have a black hood, a yellow collar, and a green body with a scaled pattern underneath; females are entirely green with a similar scaly belly pattern, and typically a complete yellow eye-ring. Found singly or in pairs in montane forest. Similar but slightly larger than Green-and-black Fruiteater, which lacks the black terminal tail band and white tail tips of Band-tailed. Male Band-taileds are also typically more heavily patterned underneath than that species, and females have a more prominent eye-ring.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.