Orange-breasted falcon
The orange-breasted falcon (Falco deiroleucus) is a Near Threatened bird of prey in the family Falconidae, the falcons and caracaras. It is found in southern Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Panama, and either definitely or probably in every South American country except Chile and Uruguay. Taxonomy and systematics The orange-breasted falcon and the bat falcon (F. rufigularis) share plumage and vocal characteristics and may be sister species. Those two appear to be closely related to the aplomado falcon (F. femoralis). The orange-breasted falcon is monotypic. Description Male orange-breasted falcons are long and weigh . Females are long and weigh . Of all the falcons, this species has the greatest difference in size between the sexes. It is a rather husky, large-headed, bird. The sexes have similar plumage, and the species resembles the smaller bat falcon. Adults have a black head and bluish black upperparts with paler blue-gray edge on the feathers. Their throat and sides of the neck are white and their upper breast is buffy rufous orange that also extends onto the sides of the neck. The ratio of white to orange varies among individuals. Their lower breast is black with coarse reddish brown bars, somewhat lighter on the flanks. Their