Collared Forest-Falcon (Micrastur semitorquatus)

Identification & Behavior: ~54.7 cm (21.5 in). The adult Collared Forest-Falcon has dusky head and rest of the upperparts. The underparts and sides of the neck and face can be white or buff with dusky sideburns.  The juvenile has light to buff on the underpart with variable density of dusky barring or scaling.  The Collared Forest-Falcon is a large version of the rarer Buckley’s Forest-Falcon. Also see Slaty-backed Forest-Falcon, which lacks the pale sides of the neck and dusky sideburns.

Status: The Collared Forest-Falcon is generally rare in Amazonia where it is known to range up to 800 along the eastern foothill of the Andes. It is also rare in the deciduous forest of Northwest Peru, where it is known to range below 700 m along the foothill of the northwestern Andes. It also occurs in Co, Ec, Br, and Bo.

Name in Spanish: Halcón-Montés Acollarado.

Sub-species: Collared Forest-Falcon (Micrastur semitorquatus naso), Lesson 1842. W Colombia and Ecuador, and NW Peru.
(M. s. semitorquatus), Vieillot 1817. E Colombia S through E Peru, N & E Bolivia and Brazil.

Meaning of Name: Micrastur: Gr. mikros= small and astur= hawk, goshawk. semitorquatus: L. semi= small, half and torquatus, torquata= necklaced, collared.

See more of the Family Falconidae