Forest falcon

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Forest falcons
Micrastur semitorquatus.jpg
Collared forest falcon
(Micrastur semitorquatus)
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Falconiformes
Family: Falconidae
Subfamily: Herpetotherinae
Genus: Micrastur
G.R. Gray, 1841
Type species
Falco brachypterus [1]
Temminck, 1822
Species

7 currently recognised: See text

Forest falcons are members of the genus Micrastur, part of the family Falconidae. They are endemic to the Americas, found from Mexico in the north, south through Central America and large parts of South America, and as far south as northern Argentina. Most are restricted to humid tropical and subtropical forests, but the two most widespread species, the collared and the barred forest falcon, also range into drier and more open habitats. [2]

Contents

Forest falcons, like most Accipiter -type hawks (but unlike other falcons), are adapted for agility in thick cover rather than outright speed in the open air. They have short wings, long tails, and extraordinarily acute hearing. While generally visually inconspicuous, their songs are commonly heard.

Their diet is a mixture of birds, mammals, and reptiles. Hunting is often performed in goshawk fashion: the bird takes up a perch in an inconspicuous position and waits for a prey species to pass, then strikes with a short, rapid pursuit. Forest falcons are inventive, flexible hunters, and at least some species (such as the relatively long-legged collared forest falcon) are also capable of catching terrestrial prey on foot.

In 2002, a new species was described, found in the Atlantic forest and the southeastern Amazon of Brazil (and later also confirmed for adjacent parts of Bolivia). It has been named Micrastur mintoni, the cryptic forest falcon, as it is phenotypically highly similar to M. gilvicollis. [3]

Species

ImageScientific nameCommon NameDistribution
Halcon montes chico (Micrastur ruficollis) (vertical crop).jpg Micrastur ruficollis Barred forest falcon south-eastern Brazil south to north-eastern Argentina and west to Paraguay
Micrastur plumbeus Plumbeous forest falcon Chocó in south-western Colombia and north-western Ecuador.
Lined Forest Falcon.jpg Micrastur gilvicollis Lined forest falcon western and northern Amazon Basin.
Micrastur mintoni - Cryptic Forest Falcon; Parauapebas, Para, Brazil.jpg Micrastur mintoni Cryptic forest falcon south-eastern Amazon rainforest in Brazil and Bolivia.
Micrastur mirandollei Slaty-backed forest falcon Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Panama, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela.
Micrastur semitorquatus - Flickr - Dick Culbert.jpg Micrastur semitorquatus Collared forest falcon Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela.
Micrastur buckleyi Buckley's forest falcon Peru, Ecuador and far southern Colombia.

Taxonomy and systematics

Micrastur was defined by George Robert Gray in the second edition of his List of the Genera of Birds in 1841. [4] [5] The type species was Temminck's Falco brachypterus, with Illiger's Falco concentricus as a synonym. [4]

Composition of species comprising the genus has varied, with differing opinions on whether particular populations are species or subspecies, and whether collected specimens were different life stages or plumage variants of the same species.

Sclater and Salvin commented in 1869 that "some of the members of the genus Micrastur are at present in a state of great confusion". They listed seven species, [6] of which four [7] are currently recognised and three [8] are considered subspecies.

In 1873, Robert Ridgway noted the similarity of Micrastur to the laughing falcon Herpetotheres. He wrote that "Eight species are given in Gray’s Hand List…, but of this number only five are tenable." [9] [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Falcon</span> Birds of prey in the genus Falco

Falcons are birds of prey in the genus Falco, which includes about 40 species. Falcons are widely distributed on all continents of the world except Antarctica, though closely related raptors did occur there in the Eocene.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Falconidae</span> Family of birds

The falcons and caracaras are around 65 species of diurnal birds of prey that make up the family Falconidae. The family likely originated in South America during the Paleocene and is divided into three subfamilies: Herpetotherinae, which includes the laughing falcon and forest falcons; Polyborinae, which includes the spot-winged falconet and the caracaras; and Falconinae, the falcons and kestrels (Falco) and falconets (Microhierax).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peregrine falcon</span> Fastest known animal and common bird of prey

The peregrine falcon, also known simply as the peregrine, and historically as the duck hawk in North America, is a cosmopolitan bird of prey (raptor) in the family Falconidae. A large, crow-sized falcon, it has a blue-grey back, barred white underparts, and a black head. The peregrine is renowned for its speed. It can reach over 320 km/h (200 mph) during its characteristic hunting stoop, making it the fastest member of the animal kingdom. According to a National Geographic TV program, the highest measured speed of a peregrine falcon is 389 km/h (242 mph). As is typical for bird-eating (avivore) raptors, peregrine falcons are sexually dimorphic, with females being considerably larger than males.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kite (bird)</span> Bird of prey

Kite is the common name for certain birds of prey in the family Accipitridae, particularly in subfamilies Milvinae, Elaninae, and Perninae. The term is derived from Old English cȳta, possibly from the onomatopoeic Proto-Indo-European root *gū- , "screech."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Accipitrinae</span> Subfamily of birds

The Accipitrinae are the subfamily of the Accipitridae often known as the "true" hawks, including all members of Accipiter and the closely related genera Erythrotriorchis, and Megatriorchis. The large and widespread genus Accipiter includes goshawks, sparrowhawks, the sharp-shinned hawk and others. They are primarily woodland birds that hunt by sudden dashes from a concealed perch, with long tails, broad wings and high visual acuity facilitating this lifestyle. In light of recent genetic research, the kites of the traditional subfamily Milvinae may also belong to this group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red-necked falcon</span> Species of bird

The red-necked falcon is a bird of prey in the falcon family with two disjunct populations, one in India and the other in Africa. This medium-sized falcon has bluish grey wings and upper body, a chestnut red cap with short chin straps passing through the eye. The primary feathers of the wing are black and a single black band at the tip of the tail are distinctive. The Indian subspecies Falco chicquera chicquera also known as the red-headed merlin or red-headed falcon is found mainly in the open plains of the India Subcontinent although it is thought to have occurred further west in southeastern Iran. The subspecies Falco chicquera ruficollis found in sub-Saharan Africa is sometimes treated as a full species, the rufous-necked falcon, on the basis of its well-separated geographic range and distinctive pattern. It appears very similar to the Indian form but has dark barring on the upperparts, a rufous breast band, and black moustachial and eye stripes. As in most falcons, the females are larger and falconers in India called the female turumti and the male as chatwa. They hunt in pairs mostly at dawn and dusk, capturing small birds, bats and squirrels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laughing falcon</span> Species of bird

The laughing falcon is a medium-sized bird of prey in subfamily Herpetotherinae of family Falconidae, the falcons and caracaras. It is found from Mexico south through Central America and in every mainland South American country except Chile and Uruguay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roadside hawk</span> Species of bird

The roadside hawk is a relatively small bird of prey found in the Americas. This vocal species is often the most common raptor in its range. It has many subspecies and is now usually placed in the monotypic genus Rupornis instead of Buteo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tiny hawk</span> Species of bird

The tiny hawk is a small diurnal bird of prey found in or near forests, primarily humid, throughout much of the Neotropics. It is primarily a bird-eater, and is known to prey on hummingbirds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buckley's forest falcon</span> Species of bird

Buckley's forest falcon, also called lesser collared forest-falcon and Traylor's forest-falcon, is a species of bird of prey in subfamily Herpetotherinae of family Falconidae, the falcons and caracaras. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, and possibly Colombia and Venezuela.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lined forest falcon</span> Species of bird

The lined forest falcon is a species of bird of prey in subfamily Herpetotherinae of family Falconidae, the falcons and caracaras. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cryptic forest falcon</span> Species of bird

The cryptic forest falcon is a species of bird of prey in the family Falconidae. It is found in the southeastern Amazon rainforest in Brazil and Bolivia. While uncommon in its Amazonian range, it remains widespread and is therefore rated as least concern by BirdLife International and IUCN. Unlike the lined forest falcon, with which it has long been confused in a cryptic species complex, adult cryptic forest falcons only have a single white tail-band.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slaty-backed forest falcon</span> Species of bird

The slaty-backed forest falcon is a species of bird of prey in subfamily Herpetotherinae of family Falconidae, the falcons and caracaras. It is found in Costa Rica, Panama, and every mainland South American country except Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plumbeous forest falcon</span> Species of bird

The plumbeous forest-falcon is a bird of prey in the family Falconidae only found in the Chocó region in Colombia and Ecuador. This rare bird has not been often spotted, which makes its study complicated. For a long time, it was considered to be part of the lined forest-falcons but it now known to be a species of its own. It is currently considered a vulnerable species because of the precarity of its habitat that is threatened by deforestation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barred forest falcon</span> Species of bird

The barred forest falcon is a species of bird of prey in subfamily Herpetotherinae of family Falconidae, the falcons and caracaras. It occurs from southern Mexico south through most of Central America and in every mainland South American country except Chile and Uruguay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Collared forest falcon</span> Species of bird

The collared forest falcon is a species of bird of prey in the family Falconidae. It is the largest member of the Micrastur genus and a common inhabitant of tropical rainforests in Latin America. Hiding in the dense forest canopy, they are a secretive bird often only recognized by their distinctive call. With a morphology or body type allowing them to be agile in their forested habitat, their diet comprises a wide variety of prey from smaller frogs to adult turkeys (2.7-3.2 kg).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White-rumped falcon</span> Species of bird

The white-rumped falcon is a species of bird of prey in the family Falconidae native to Indochina. It is placed in its own monotypic genus, Neohierax.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Herpetotherinae</span> Subfamily of birds

Herpetotherinae is a subfamily of falconid birds of prey that includes eight species in two genera Herpetotheres and Micrastur. Both genera are found in South America and the subfamily is basal to the other falconid subfamilies where they split off around 30.2 million years ago in the Oligocene epoch. The two extant herpetotherine genera split around 20 million years ago in the Miocene epoch with the extinct genus Thegornis.

References

  1. "Psittacidae". aviansystematics.org. The Trust for Avian Systematics. Retrieved 2023-07-24.
  2. Bierregaard, R. O. (1994) Species accounts - Genus Micrastur. In: Del Hojo J, Elliott A, Sargatal J (eds), Handbook of the Birds of the World, Volume 2, pp 252–254. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions
  3. Whittaker, A. (2002). A new species of forest-falcon (Falconidae: Micrastur) from south eastern Amazonia and the rain forests of Brazil. Wilson Bulletin, 114, 421445.
  4. 1 2 Gray, George Robert (1841). A list of the genera of birds : with their synonyma and an indication of the typical species of each genus (2 ed.). p.  6. On page 4 of the first edition, he lists "* !———–? Brachypterus Less."
  5. Rees, Tony (2011). "Micrastur Gray, 1841". Interim Register of Marine and Non-marine Genera (IRMNG). Retrieved 31 October 2023.
  6. Sclater, Philip Lutley; Salvin, Osbert. "Notes on the Species of the Genus Micrastur". Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London: 364–369. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.1869.tb07339.x.
  7. M. semitorquatus, M. mirandollei, M. ruficollis, M. gilvicollis.
  8. M. zonothorax, M. leucauchen, M. guerilla.
  9. Those five were listed as: M. semitorquatus, M. mirandollei, M. ruficollis, M. leucauchen, and M. concentricus. He excluded M. castanilius as a species of Nisus (now Accipiter castanilius ). He considered M. guerilla and M. zonothorax to be different forms of the same species, and that M. xanthothorax and M. gilvicollis were synonyms of M. ruficollis.
  10. Ridgway, Robert (1873). "Revision of the falconine genera, Micrastur, Geranospiza and Rupornis, and the strigine genus, Glaucidium". Proceedings of the Boston Society of Natural History. 16: 73.