Laughing falcon
The laughing falcon (Herpetotheres cachinnans) is a medium-sized bird of prey in the falcon family. It lives from southern Mexico through Central America and across most of mainland South America, but not in Chile or Uruguay. It is about 45–56 cm long with a wingspan of 79–94 cm. Adults have creamy white underparts, a broad dark face mask around the eyes, a dusky crown with fine streaks, and dark wings and back. The tail has several white bands. Males and females look alike, though females are heavier.
The laughing falcon favors a wide range of semi-open, wooded habitats, from forests to palm groves and savannas, usually in the lowlands but sometimes higher up. It flies slowly with quick, short wingbeats and often perches for long periods, watching the ground for prey. Its main diet is snakes, including venomous ones, but it also eats lizards, small rodents, bats, and fish; there are occasional reports of eating birds and centipedes. It usually hunts from a perch, pouncing on prey with a thud, and brings food to a perch to eat.
Breeding varies by region. Eggs are laid mainly during the dry season in parts of Central America, with other nesting times elsewhere. The nest is usually in a tree cavity up to about 30 meters high, though it can also use a tree crotch or crevices. The clutch is usually one egg, sometimes two. The female incubates for about 40–45 days, and fledging occurs about 55–59 days after hatching. Both parents help raise the chicks. The laughing falcon is highly vocal, with a distinctive loud, rolling call that has given rise to many local names.
Conservation status is Least Concern. The species has a very large range and a population of at least several hundred thousand mature birds, with numbers believed to be stable or slowly decreasing. It tends to be more common in disturbed forests than in undisturbed primary forests.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 16:09 (CET).