#aplomado falcon

[tofuthebold]

i don't think I've posted this here before… found this in my folder :3

[todaysbird]

the aplomado falcon is a long-winged, long-tailed falcon found from portions of the southern u.s. down through central & south america, with their range ending in argentina. sadly, while they were once common in grasslands throughout the southwestern u.s., they are now rare, largely due to habitat degradation (though organizations like the peregrine fund have attempted to reintroduce the falcon). in flight, they look similar in shape to the american kestrel, apart from the falcon’s longer tail and wings. the sexes are similar, apart from females being notably larger, which is the case among many birds of prey. they are skilled hunters, with small birds making up the largest portion of their diet. they feed on invertebrates and small vertebrates, often hunting for large insects at twilight, when they are more active. while prey items rarely weight more than one-half of the falcon’s body weight, in some cases larger females have been recorded catching and eating much larger species, such as a cattle egret. mated pairs will pass food to each other midair. they do not construct their own nests during the breeding season, but will use old nests built by large birds such as other raptors and corvids; sometimes, if there’s a lack of available options, they will evict a current tenant for their own use. while they are somewhat rare in falconry, they are prized by some for their hunting style, which is more reminiscent of accipiters (hawks with short, rounded wings) than of most falcons. they will chase after prey such as quail or other small gamebirds in pursuit after they have been flushed out. however, like many small falcons, they often try to fly away from the falconer with their prey after capture. the oldest recorded wild aplomado falcon reached at least 8 years, 8 months of age, though in the wild their lifespans are often much shorter.

photos sourced from the Macaulay Library

[animalphotorefs]

New Species Added: Aplomado Falcons!

The first species of raptor to grace the site from the Birds of Prey trip are the stunning and speedy aplomado falcons! A huge thank you to everyone who helped crowdfund that trip.

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[harkthorn]

Sketch of an Aplomado falcon. Ballpoint pen lines, then threw on some very basic messy digital flats/colour

-2974

[scottpartridge]

A new batch of prints on wood panels being prepped for @cascadesraptorcenter .For those not able to make it to the center, these and many other designs can be purchased from my store: https://jevaartprints.square.site/s/shop

[rulers-of-the-sky]

[elfkissing]

[ID in alt text]

I had a dream the other night that featured these little babythings that looked like if fennec foxes and aplomado falcons made a griffon, and I was so immediately charmed I had to make them real

[jojos-birdwatching-adventure]

So is petshop now a human?

I mean, maybe…

But I can actually try matching him to a real life bird. He’s definitely a falcon of some sort.

My first guess would be a Peregrine Falcon (left), but I also think he could be an Aplomado Falcon (right).

I’m thinking of setting up a poll once I find more birds that could be Pet Shop…