The red-necked falcon (Falco chicquera) belongs to the family Falconidae. These red-necked falcon species are distributed in Indian Subcontinent and Iran.
Taxonomy of Red-necked falcon
- Scientific Name: Falco chicquera
- Common Name: Red-necked falcon
- French: Faucon chicquera; German: Rotkopffalke; Spanish: Alcotán turumti;
- Other names: Red-headed Merlin; Turumtia chicquera Blyth, 1863; Chicquera typus Bonaparte, 1854; Aesalon chicquera Blanford, 1895;
- Family: Falconidae › Falconiformes › Aves › Chordata › Animalia
- Species author: Daudin, 1800
Description
The red-necked falcon is a small bird of prey, measuring 30 to 35 cm in length and weighing 160 grams. The female falcon is larger and weighs 250 grams. The wingspan is 55 to 70 cm. It has a bright rufous crown and nape. The wings and upper parts are bluish grey. The legs, ceres and eye ring are yellow. The tip of the bill is black. The wing is short and pointed. The tail is long and rounded. Their call is a shrill kee..kee.. sound. |
| Indian birds - Image of Red-necked falcon - Falco chicquera |
Habitat
These species of birds inhabit trees around open grounds, waterways, savannah, dry open country and semi-deserts.Feeding habits
These falcon species feeds on small birds like sparrows, starlings and pigeons.Breeding
Their breeding season in India is during January to March. Usually old tree nests of other birds are used. The clutch may contain three to five eggs.Distribution
These falcon species are distributed in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Iran.Movement Patterns
The red-necked falcon are mostly resident and nomadic in certain areas like Northeast India.Status and conservation
The red-necked falcon population is undergoing decline. Habitat destruction and dearth in prey supply are the main threats to the survival of these bird species.The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) has categorized and evaluated these falcon species and has listed them as "Near Threatened".
| Biological classification of Falco chicquera | |
|---|---|
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Falconiformes |
| Family: | Falconidae |
| Subfamily: | - |
| Genus: | Falco |
| Species: | F. chicquera |
| Binomial name: | Falco chicquera |
| Distribution: | India Subcontinent and Iran; |
| Feeding habits: | mainly small birds; |
| IUCN status listing: |  Near Threatened |
Image source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Red-Necked_Falcon.JPG
Image author: Cks3976 | License: CC BY-SA 3.0
Current topic in Birds of India: Red-necked falcon - Falco chicquera.
