Red-necked falcon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Red-necked falcon |
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| Falco chicquera chicquera (India) | |
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| Falco chicquera ruficollis (Etosha, Namibia) | |
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Falco
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| Species: |
chicquera
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The red-necked falcon (Falco chicquera) is a cool bird of prey that belongs to the falcon family. These medium-sized falcons live in two different parts of the world: one group in India and another in Africa.
They have pretty bluish-grey wings and upper bodies. Their heads are a chestnut red color, like a reddish-brown cap. You can also see short lines, called chin straps, that go through their eyes. The tips of their wings have black feathers, and their tails have a single black band at the end.
The falcons in India are called Falco chicquera chicquera. They are also known as the red-headed merlin or red-headed falcon. You can mostly find them in the open plains of India.
The falcons in Africa are called Falco chicquera ruficollis. Some scientists think they are a completely separate species, called the rufous-necked falcon (Falco ruficollis). This is because they live far apart and have slightly different patterns. The African falcons look a lot like the Indian ones. But they have dark stripes on their upper bodies, a reddish band on their chest, and black stripes near their eyes and mouth.
Like most falcons, the females are bigger than the males. In India, falconers (people who train falcons) called the female turumti and the male chatwa. These falcons often hunt in pairs, usually early in the morning or late in the evening. They catch small birds, bats, and even squirrels.
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What Does the Red-Necked Falcon Look Like?
The red-necked falcon is a medium-sized bird with long wings. It has a bright reddish-brown crown and the back of its neck. These falcons are usually about 30 to 36 centimeters (12 to 14 inches) long. Their wings can spread out to about 85 centimeters (33 inches) wide.
Their wings and upper bodies are bluish-grey. Their tails have thin stripes and a wide black band at the very end, tipped with white. When the bird is resting, its wingtip does not reach the end of its tail. The second and third wing feathers are the longest.
Their legs, the skin around their eyes (eyering), and the waxy part at the base of their beak (ceres) are all yellow. The tip of their beak is black, while the bottom part is greenish-yellow. They make a loud, sharp ki-ki-ki-ki sound.
Males and females look similar, but females are larger. Young falcons have a duller color on their upper bodies. Their undersides are a light yellowish-brown with fewer stripes.
Different Kinds of Red-Necked Falcons
There are two main types, or subspecies, of the red-necked falcon.
The African subspecies is called Falco chicquera ruficollis. It was first described in 1837. Adult African falcons have a white face, except for black stripes near their mouth. Their upper bodies are light grey. Their primary wing feathers are black, and they have a wide black band on their tail. Their undersides are white with dark stripes on their lower wings, belly, and under the tail. They also have a reddish band on their front neck, which the Indian falcons do not have.
Male African falcons from West Africa usually weigh between 139 and 178 grams (about 5 to 6 ounces). Females weigh between 190 and 305 grams (about 7 to 11 ounces). Some very large African falcons from south of the Zambezi River were once thought to be a separate subspecies. But scientists now think that the size differences might just be natural changes across their range.
The Asian subspecies is called Falco chicquera chicquera. It has reddish stripes near its mouth. It does not have the yellowish-brown chest band that the African falcons have. It also has fewer stripes on its body compared to the African type.
How Red-Necked Falcons Got Their Name
This bird was first described based on a falcon found in Bengal, India. A scientist named François Levaillant was told that the local name for the bird was "Chicquera." This name might have been given by mistake, as it probably referred to a different bird called a shikra.
Levaillant did not use scientific names, but he called it "Le Chicquera." Later, in 1800, François Marie Daudin gave it the scientific name Falco chicquera. Over time, scientists tried putting this falcon in different bird groups.
Recent studies looking at the genes of these birds show that the African and Indian falcons are quite different. They have been separated for a very long time, possibly for 900,000 years! Because they live in different areas and have these genetic differences, many scientists now treat them as two separate species.
Where Red-Necked Falcons Live
In Africa, you can find the red-necked falcon in semi-desert areas, savannahs, and other dry, open places that have some trees. They also live near rivers in forests. They often perch and build their nests in the tops of tall Borassus palm trees. These falcons usually stay in one place, but they might move around if the weather changes.
In India, they live in open areas. You won't find them in thick forests or high mountains. It's thought that the Indian subspecies might have lived as far west as Iran a long time ago. They were seen breeding there in 1911. They are also sometimes seen in northern Sri Lanka during the winter.
Behaviour and Hunting Habits
The red-necked falcon usually hunts in pairs. They often hunt early in the morning or late in the evening. One falcon might fly low to scare out small birds from their hiding spots. Then, the other falcon, flying higher up, will swoop down and catch the prey as it flies out. They fly very fast and dash through the air.
These falcons prefer to hunt birds that live in open areas. They have been seen hunting many different kinds of birds. Some examples include Eurasian tree sparrows, house sparrows, white-browed wagtails, and various types of starlings, plovers, and larks. They also hunt rock doves and collared doves. Besides birds, they also eat mice, lizards, and large insects.
One study in Bangladesh showed that adult falcons mainly ate small sparrow-sized birds (72%) and bats (28%). Sometimes, they might even steal food from other medium-sized birds of prey. They might also hide their prey and eat it later.
Red-necked falcons like to drink water in the afternoons if it's available. This has been seen in both India and Africa, where they sometimes visit waterholes.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
In India, the red-necked falcon's breeding season is from January to March. In Zambia, Africa, it starts in August. Sometimes, the female falcon will feed the male during courtship. This is a bit unusual but has been seen in falcons kept by humans too.
These falcons often reuse old nests built by other birds, especially crows. They might also build their own nests in the fork of a tall tree or in the top of a palm tree. In Africa, they have been known to reuse nests of pied crows or African fish eagles. They also build their own nests in Borassus palms. In India, nests are often hidden inside the leaves of large mango trees.
The falcons protect their nest area very well, chasing away crows and kites. They have even been known to nest in trees in busy human areas. The female lays two to four eggs. Only the female incubates (sits on) the eggs, starting after the last egg is laid.
The eggs hatch after about 32 to 34 days. The baby falcons are covered in soft white down feathers. The female broods (keeps warm) the chicks for about a week. The male brings food, which the female tears into small pieces and feeds to the chicks. The young falcons are ready to fly (fledge) in about 35 to 37 days in Africa, and up to 48 days in India.
Red-Necked Falcons in Falconry
The turumti (female red-necked falcon) was a favorite bird among Indian falconers. They loved to watch it hunt the Indian roller, a bird that performs amazing moves in the air to escape. This was very entertaining for people watching.
These falcons were caught using a special trap called a bal-chatri. Red-necked falcons are unique because they not only catch prey in the air, but they will also chase it on the ground. This meant they could get tangled in the horsehair loops of the trap. The name "Turumta" was also used in Iran for the merlin, another type of falcon.
