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{{Short description|Species of bird}}
{{Taxobox
{{More citations needed|date=May 2016}}
| name = Brown falcon
{{Speciesbox
| status = LC
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref>{{IUCN|id=22696354 |title=''Falco berigora'' |assessors=[[BirdLife International]] |version=2013.2 |year=2012 |accessdate=26 November 2013}}</ref>
| status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 12 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=BirdLife International |date=2016 |title=''Falco berigora'' |volume=2016 |page=e.T22696354A93556228 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22696354A93556228.en |access-date=12 November 2021}}</ref>
| image = Brown_falcon.jpg
| image = Falco berigora -Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia-8.jpg
| image_caption= At Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia
| image_caption= At Ingham, Queensland, Australia
| regnum = [[Animal]]ia
| genus = Falco
⚫
| species = berigora
| phylum = [[Chordate|Chordata]]
⚫
| authority = [[Nicholas Aylward Vigors|Vigors]] & [[Thomas Horsfield|Horsfield]], 1827
| classis = [[Bird|Aves]]
| ordo = [[Falconiformes]]
| familia = [[Falconidae]]
| genus = ''[[Falcon|Falco]]''
⚫
| species = '''''F. berigora'''''
| binomial = ''Falco berigora''
⚫
| binomial_authority = [[Nicholas Aylward Vigors|Vigors]] & [[Thomas Horsfield|Horsfield]], 1827
| synonyms =
| synonyms =
''Asturaetus furcillatus'' <small>[[Charles Walter De Vis|De Vis]], 1906</small><br />
''Asturaetus furcillatus'' <small>[[Charles Walter De Vis|De Vis]], 1906</small><br />
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}}
}}
[[File:Falco berigora taranna.jpg|thumb|A brown falcon used for falconry in Tasmania]]
[[File:Falco berigora taranna.jpg|thumb|A brown falcon used for falconry in Tasmania]]
The '''brown falcon''' (''Falco berigora''), also known as the '''brown hawk''', is a member of the [[falcon]] [[genus]] found in the drier regions of [[Australia]]. Its specific name ''berigora'' is derived from an aboriginal name for the bird.
The '''brown falcon''' ('''''Falco berigora''''') is a relatively large [[falcon]] native to [[Australia]] and [[New Guinea]].


A number of [[plumage]] morphs occur, with the primary distinction being between the pale morph and the dark morph. Both morphs usually have dark brown upper parts and wing [[covert feather|coverts]]. Dark morph birds have predominantly dark under parts, although some light streaking is common. Pale morph birds have white underparts that are varyingly streaked with brown, sometimes heavily so. Pale individuals may also have prominently white under tail coverts and these may be diagnostic. A distinctive aspect of their behaviour is shown in the breeding season when brown falcons make a loud, high pitched, cackle call (like a laying hen) and screeching while in flight.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.wiresnr.org/BrownFalcon.html|title=Brown Falcon|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210831022923/http://www.wiresnr.org/BrownFalcon.html|archive-date=August 31, 2021}}</ref>
The flight and hunting methods of the brown falcon differ markedly from those of other falcons. Both its wing-beats and flight are relatively slow. It is usually seen quietly perched or flying, alternatively beating its wings and gliding with wings held in a shallow "V" position. It sometimes hovers rather inefficiently, especially on windy days, but it has the ability to soar to great heights.


The [[species]] name ''berigora'' has Aboriginal origins.
The brown falcon does not hunt by chasing its prey in flight. Its main method of searching for its food is to sit quietly on a high perch such as a dead branch on a tree or power pole. It drops down on its prey and grabs it with its talons. The falcon also searches for prey whilst gliding and flying.


==Description==
==Description==
Adults are usually 40&nbsp;cm to 50&nbsp;cm long. They are found in light and dark forms and a variety of intermediates. Animals typically have red-brown heads with narrow black streaks with a light crown and off white chin. Wings are a spotted red-brown with dark brown quills. Beaks are light blue/grey, eyes are brown. The falcons make a loud cackle call uttered frequently.
Adults are usually {{convert|40|to|50|cm|in|abbr=on}} long. They are found in light and dark forms and a variety of intermediates. Animals typically have red-brown heads with narrow black streaks with a light crown and off-white chin. Wings are a spotted red-brown with dark brown quills. [[Beak]]s are light blue/grey; eyes are brown. The falcons make a loud cackle call uttered frequently.


==Breeding and habitat==
==Breeding and habitat==
Brown falcons breed from June - November usually in an old nest of another hawk species, they occasionally nest in hollow limbs of trees. The brown falcon lays between 2-5 eggs that have red and brown spots and blotches.
Brown falcons breed from June to November, usually in an old [[bird nest|nest]] of a larger passerine or another hawk species; they occasionally nest in hollow limbs of trees. The brown falcon lays between two and five eggs that have red and brown spots and blotches.


==Subspecies==
Brown falcons are found throughout Australia. Darker forms of the animal are usually found in arid areas. The brown falcon has been spotted in [[New Guinea]].
* ''F. b. novaeguineae'' : central and eastern New Guinea and coastal northern Australia<ref>[http://www.worldbirdnames.org/bow/falcons/ ''IOC World Bird List'']</ref>
* ''F. b. berigora'' : Australia (except coastal north) and Tasmania


==Diet==
==Diet==
The brown falcon eats small mammals, including house mice and young rabbits. It also eats small birds, lizards, snakes and a variety of invertebrates particularly caterpillars, grasshoppers, crickets and beetles. Insects form the bulk of the animals diet during winter and the falcons often chase the insects on the ground.
The brown falcon eats small mammals, including house mice. They also eat young [[rabbit]]s in the summer. It also eats small birds, lizards, snakes, and a variety of invertebrates, particularly caterpillars, grasshoppers, crickets, and beetles. Insects form the bulk of the animals' diets during winter and the falcons often chase the insects on the ground.

==Behaviour==
Brown falcons and other Australian [[Wildfire#Spread|firehawks]] have been said to pick up sticks with flames and dropping them to spread fires and prey on escaping animals.<ref name="Greshko">{{cite web |last1=Greshko |first1=Michael |title=Why These Birds Carry Flames In Their Beaks |url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/wildfires-birds-animals-australia |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210222110255/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/wildfires-birds-animals-australia |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 22, 2021 |website=National Geographic |access-date=21 October 2022 |language=en |date=8 January 2018}}</ref> According to ''[[Audubon (magazine)|Audubon]]'', "That anecdotal evidence is sourced from personal testimonies by Australian firefighters and aboriginal people, as well as historical literature, and amounts to 14 firsthand narratives of this specific occurrence."<ref>{{cite news | last =Schmitt | first = Kristen| title = Can Birds Actually Start Forest Fires?: Anecdotal evidence suggests that certain birds of prey use fire to their advantage—but the research hasn't been caught on camera yet. | newspaper = [[Audubon (magazine)|Audubon]] | location = | pages = | language = | publisher = | date = February 22, 2016| url = https://www.audubon.org/news/can-birds-actually-start-forest-fires | accessdate =May 18, 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | doi = 10.2993/0278-0771-37.4.700 | volume=37 | title=Intentional Fire-Spreading by "Firehawk" Raptors in Northern Australia | year=2017 | journal=Journal of Ethnobiology | page=700 | last1 = Bonta | first1 = Mark | last2 = Gosford | first2 = Robert | last3 = Eussen | first3 = Dick | last4 = Ferguson | first4 = Nathan | last5 = Loveless | first5 = Erana | last6 = Witwer | first6 = Maxwell| issue=4 | s2cid=90806420 }}</ref>


==References==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}

⚫
*''Birds of The World'' by Colin Harrison and Alan Greensmith.
==Further reading==
⚫
*''Complete Book of Australian Birds'' Readers Digest
⚫
*''Birds of The World'' by Colin Harrison and Alan Greensmith
⚫
*''Complete Book of Australian Birds'' Reader's Digest


==Gallery==
==Gallery==
⚫
{{Commons category|Falco berigora|Brown falcon<br />(''Falco berigora'')}}
⚫
{{Wikispecies|Falco berigora}}
<gallery>
<gallery>
Image:Falco berigora.jpg|[[John Gould]] illustration
File:Falco berigora.jpg|[[John Gould]] illustration
Image:Brown falcon1444.jpg|Brown falcon portrait
File:Brown falcon1444.jpg|Brown falcon portrait
Brown-Falcon,-Vic,-3.1.2008.jpg|Brown falcon
Brown-Falcon,-Vic,-3.1.2008.jpg|Brown falcon
File:Falco berigora -Phillip Island, Victoria, Australia -flying-8 (1).jpg|In flight in Victoria, [[Australia]]
File:Falco berigora -Phillip Island, Victoria, Australia -flying-8 (1).jpg|In flight in Victoria, [[Australia]]
File:Falco berigora pale 001.png|Adult, pale morph, Tasmania
⚫
Image:Brown Falcon pikedale.ogg|Video of wild-bird attending prey, Pikedale, S. Queensland
File:F berigora pale 002.png|Adult (pale morph) takes flight, Tasmania
File:Brown Falcon on thistles.jpg|alt=Brown Falcon perched on thistles near Lake Borrie, Vic, looking back at photographer.|Brown falcon perched on thistles near Lake Borrie, Vic.
⚫
File:Brown Falcon pikedale.ogv|Brown falcon attending prey, Pikedale, S. Queensland
</gallery>
</gallery>


{{clear}}
[[Image:Brown Falcon pikedale.ogg|thumb|300px|left|Wild-bird attending prey, Pikedale, S. Queensland]]
<br style="clear:both">


{{Taxonbar|from=Q605547}}
⚫
{{Commons category|Falco berigora|Brown falcon<br />(''Falco berigora'')}}
⚫
{{wikispecies|Falco berigora}}


[[Category:Falco (genus)]]
[[Category:Falco (genus)|brown falcon]]
[[Category:Birds of South Australia]]
[[Category:Birds of Australia]]
[[Category:Birds of Tasmania]]
[[Category:Birds of prey of New Guinea]]
[[Category:Birds of Western Australia]]
[[Category:Diurnal raptors of Australia]]
[[Category:Diurnal raptors of Australia]]
[[Category:Birds described in 1827|brown falcon]]
[[Category:Articles containing video clips]]
[[Category:Firehawks]]

Latest revision as of 09:42, 6 March 2024

Brown falcon
At Ingham, Queensland, Australia
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Falconiformes
Family: Falconidae
Genus: Falco
Species:
F. berigora
Binomial name
Falco berigora
Synonyms

Asturaetus furcillatus De Vis, 1906
Plioaetus furcillatus (De Vis, 1906)

A brown falcon used for falconry in Tasmania

The brown falcon (Falco berigora) is a relatively large falcon native to Australia and New Guinea.

A number of plumage morphs occur, with the primary distinction being between the pale morph and the dark morph. Both morphs usually have dark brown upper parts and wing coverts. Dark morph birds have predominantly dark under parts, although some light streaking is common. Pale morph birds have white underparts that are varyingly streaked with brown, sometimes heavily so. Pale individuals may also have prominently white under tail coverts and these may be diagnostic. A distinctive aspect of their behaviour is shown in the breeding season when brown falcons make a loud, high pitched, cackle call (like a laying hen) and screeching while in flight.[2]

The species name berigora has Aboriginal origins.

Description

[edit]

Adults are usually 40 to 50 cm (16 to 20 in) long. They are found in light and dark forms and a variety of intermediates. Animals typically have red-brown heads with narrow black streaks with a light crown and off-white chin. Wings are a spotted red-brown with dark brown quills. Beaks are light blue/grey; eyes are brown. The falcons make a loud cackle call uttered frequently.

Breeding and habitat

[edit]

Brown falcons breed from June to November, usually in an old nest of a larger passerine or another hawk species; they occasionally nest in hollow limbs of trees. The brown falcon lays between two and five eggs that have red and brown spots and blotches.

Subspecies

[edit]
  • F. b. novaeguineae : central and eastern New Guinea and coastal northern Australia[3]
  • F. b. berigora : Australia (except coastal north) and Tasmania

Diet

[edit]

The brown falcon eats small mammals, including house mice. They also eat young rabbits in the summer. It also eats small birds, lizards, snakes, and a variety of invertebrates, particularly caterpillars, grasshoppers, crickets, and beetles. Insects form the bulk of the animals' diets during winter and the falcons often chase the insects on the ground.

Behaviour

[edit]

Brown falcons and other Australian firehawks have been said to pick up sticks with flames and dropping them to spread fires and prey on escaping animals.[4] According to Audubon, "That anecdotal evidence is sourced from personal testimonies by Australian firefighters and aboriginal people, as well as historical literature, and amounts to 14 firsthand narratives of this specific occurrence."[5][6]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ BirdLife International (2016). "Falco berigora". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22696354A93556228. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22696354A93556228.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. ^ "Brown Falcon". Archived from the original on August 31, 2021.
  3. ^ IOC World Bird List
  4. ^ Greshko, Michael (8 January 2018). "Why These Birds Carry Flames In Their Beaks". National Geographic. Archived from the original on February 22, 2021. Retrieved 21 October 2022.
  5. ^ Schmitt, Kristen (February 22, 2016). "Can Birds Actually Start Forest Fires?: Anecdotal evidence suggests that certain birds of prey use fire to their advantage—but the research hasn't been caught on camera yet". Audubon. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
  6. ^ Bonta, Mark; Gosford, Robert; Eussen, Dick; Ferguson, Nathan; Loveless, Erana; Witwer, Maxwell (2017). "Intentional Fire-Spreading by "Firehawk" Raptors in Northern Australia". Journal of Ethnobiology. 37 (4): 700. doi:10.2993/0278-0771-37.4.700. S2CID 90806420.

Further reading

[edit]
  • Birds of The World by Colin Harrison and Alan Greensmith
  • Complete Book of Australian Birds Reader's Digest
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Brown falcon
(Falco berigora).
Wikispecies has information related to Falco berigora.
  • John Gould illustration
    John Gould illustration
  • Brown falcon portrait
    Brown falcon portrait
  • Brown falcon
    Brown falcon
  • In flight in Victoria, Australia
    In flight in Victoria, Australia
  • Adult, pale morph, Tasmania
    Adult, pale morph, Tasmania
  • Adult (pale morph) takes flight, Tasmania
    Adult (pale morph) takes flight, Tasmania
  • Brown Falcon perched on thistles near Lake Borrie, Vic, looking back at photographer.
    Brown falcon perched on thistles near Lake Borrie, Vic.
  • Brown falcon attending prey, Pikedale, S. Queensland
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Brown_falcon&oldid=1212139518"