Laughing Falcon

The Laughing Falcon is a large, deliberate forest falcon found across Central and South America, easily recognized by its pale cream head marked with a broad blackish mask running through the eyes, contrasting with its dark brown back and wings.

Unlike fast-flying open-country falcons, it perches for long periods watching for prey, and its feathers are correspondingly broader and less streamlined than those of true falcons like kestrels or peregrines.

Its loud, far-carrying calls at dawn and dusk often reveal its presence well before a feather is found, typically near forest edges or savanna woodland where it hunts.

Shape and size

• Flight feathers are broader and more rounded than typical fast-flying falcons, reflecting its more perch-and-pounce hunting style; primaries can reach 20-25 cm.
• Tail feathers are long and boldly banded with alternating dark brown and pale bands.

Color and pattern

• Head and underparts feathers are creamy buff to pale cinnamon, unmarked except at the mask.
• The distinctive dark facial mask feathers are blackish-brown and sharply defined against the pale head.
• Back and wing feathers are dark chocolate-brown, sometimes with a faint pale scaling.
• Shafts are pale on head/underpart feathers, dark brown on back and flight feathers.

Similar species

• No other Neotropical falcon combines a pale cream head with such a bold, mask-like dark eye stripe; the broad, rounded flight feather shape also separates it from slimmer true falcons.

Adults show a pale buff-cream head and underparts, a bold dark mask through the eye, and dark brown upperparts with a boldly banded tail. Sexes look similar. Juveniles are similar overall but may show slightly more mottling on the underparts, reaching adult appearance without a dramatic plumage change.

Found from Mexico south through Central America into much of South America, in lowland forest, forest edge, gallery woodland, and savanna with scattered trees. It is a non-migratory resident throughout its range.

Specializes heavily on snakes and other reptiles, which it locates from a high, exposed perch before dropping down to seize them. Nests in tree cavities or on old stick platforms. Its name comes from its loud, laughing or yelping call, often given repeatedly at dawn and dusk.

Field note: broad, boldly banded tail feathers with a pale cream base color and a dark masked head feather are strong indicators of this species over other Neotropical raptors.