Laughing Falcon (Herpetotheres cachinnans

Order: Falconiformes | Family: Falconidae  | IUCN Status: Least Concern

laughing_falcon
Age: Adult | Sex: Unknown | Loc. Amazonian Colombia

laughing_falcon
Age: Adult | Sex: Unknown | Loc. Amazonian Brazil

laughing_falcon
Age: Adult | Sex: Unknown | Loc. Amazonian Ecuador

laughing_falcon
Age: Adult | Sex: Unknown | Loc. Amazonian Colombia

Identification & Behavior: ~47.5 cm (18.7 in). The Laughing Falcon is creamy white with conspicuous black mask and dusky back. The cere is yellow. It is rather vocal and loud. It perches on exposed branches in all forest types including clearings and second growth. Their plumage patterns is unmistakable, but see Yellow-headed Caracara and some forest-falcons.

Status: The Laughing Falcon is widespread in Amazonia where it is known to range up to 1000 m along the foothill of the Andes. It also occurs in Co, Ec, Br, and Bo.

Name in Spanish: Halcón Reidor.

Sub-species: Laughing Falcon (Herpetotheres cachinnans cachinnans), Linnaeus 1758.  Colombia and S to Peru and C Brazil.
(H. c. fulvescens), Chapman 1915. W Colombia, W Ecuador and NW Peru.

Meaning of Name: Herpetotheres: Gr. herpeton= snake, reptile and thëras= hunter.  cachinnans: L. cahinnare= laughing, one that laughs.

See more of the Family Falconidae   peru aves

Distribution Map
laughing falconVoice

References:

    • Species range based on: Schulenberg, T. S., D. F. Stotz, and L. Rico. 2006. Distribution maps of the birds of Peru, version 1.0. Environment, Culture & Conservation (ECCo). The Field Museum.  http://fm2.fieldmuseum.org/uw_test/birdsofperu on 08/01/2015.