Aplomado Falcon (Falco femoralis)

Identification & Behavior: ~38.5 cm (15.1 in). The adult Aplomado Falcon has gray upperparts and top of the head. It has a conspicuous buff superciliary line and dusky mustache. The underparts are buff and rufous with a dark vest. The juvenile is similar but has a dusky brown back and dusky streaks on the breast. It is similar to a much smaller American Kestrel. Also, see juvenile Peregrine Falcon. It forages in open habitats.

Status: The Aplomado Falcon is fairly common in the high Andes where it is known to range between 2400 – 4300 m. It also occurs in Co, Ec, Br, Bo, and Ch.

Name in Spanish: Halcón Aplomado.

Sub-species: Aplomado Falcon (Falco femoralis femoralis), Temminck 1822. Colombia, S through E Bolivia and Brazil.
(F. f. pichinchae), Chapman,1925. Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and W Bolivia S to N and Chile.

Meaning of Name: Falco: Gr. phalkön= falcon. femoralis: L. femoralis, femoral, femur= cover for the thigh femur.

See more of the Family Falconidae