Barred Forest Falcon

Overview

The barred forest falcon (Micrastur ruficollis) is a species of bird of prey in the family Falconidae. It is a year-round resident found across a vast range in the Americas, assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Identification

• Length of 31 to 39 cm, with males weighing 144 to 184 g and females 200 to 322 g.
• Adults are typically dark slate grey above with a white-tipped tail featuring three to six narrow white bars.
• Underparts are white and finely barred with black or dark grey, contrasting with a darker grey upper breast.
• Eyes are cream to light orange brown, with a black bill that turns yellow at the base of the lower mandible; legs are orange-yellow.

Habitat

The species primarily uses mature upland forest, restricted to mature tropical forest in Central America but utilizing various forest and woodland types, including relatively arid ones, in South America. It often occurs in secondary forest, gallery forest, and forest edges, requiring primary or mature secondary forest to persist in a location while avoiding areas with pronounced human influence.

Diet

This predator feeds on lizards, small birds, mammals, bats, snakes, and frogs. It hunts by sitting quietly on branches to ambush prey, though it also employs techniques such as chasing on foot, following army ant swarms, and nest robbing.

Did you know?

The barred forest falcon is capable of snatching animals from traps or cages, a behaviour recorded during mark-recapture studies.