Bat Falcon

Falco rufigularis

The bat falcon (Falco rufigularis) is a falcon that is a resident breeder in tropical Mexico, Central and South America, and Trinidad. It was long known as Falco albigularis; the names Falco fusco-coerulescens or Falco fuscocaerulescens, long used for the aplomado falcon, are now believed to refer to the present species.It is probably closely related to and looks like a small version of the orange-breasted falcon with whom it has been misidentified. These two, in turn, are probably closest to the aplomado falcon and constitute a rather old American lineage of Falco species.The female bat falcon, at 30.5 cm length, is much larger than the 23-cm-long male. Adults have a black back, head, and tail. The throat, upper breast, and neck sides are creamy white, the lower breast and belly are black, finely barred white, and the thighs and lower belly are orange. Young birds are similar, but with a buffy throat. The call of this species is a high pitched ke-ke-ke like the American kestrel.

This small, dark bird of prey inhabits open woodlands and forest clearings. Bat falcons perch conspicuously on high, open snags, from which they launch aerial attacks on their prey. They hunt bats, birds, small rodents and large insects such as dragonflies. The smaller male takes more insects, and the female more birds and bats. The flight is direct and powerful. This falcon is partly crepuscular, as the bats in its diet suggest. It lays two or three brown eggs in an unlined treehole nest.