Fun Grey Falcon Facts For Kids
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Are you a fan of raptors like hawks? Then, you will love reading about the grey falcon.
The grey falcon is an indigenous Australian bird that is as scarce as a hen’s teeth.
The genus Falco embodies 40 species allocated in different parts of the world.
The grey falcon (Falco hypoleucos) is one of the birds of prey, otherwise known as a raptor. The word ‘raptor’ has its significance since it is derived from the Latin word ‘raptare,’ which implies snatching or ransacking.
John Gould, an ornithologist, published about this species in his book of Birds of Australia (Volume V) based on the sample of Lockier Burges, a pastoralist who presented it to the collector John Gilbert.
However, the bird which was presented to John Gilbert was later recognized as an immature bird, and in 1842 another bird was curated by Gilbert which was discovered in the north of Moore River, which was comparatively bigger and paler than the first specimen which Gilbert was provided with and reckoned it as a new species.
The explorer Charles Strut also collected two samples from New South Wales and forwarded them to Gould in England.
Already found this article interesting? Keep reading to know more facts about the grey falcon. If you like this article, then check out the laughing falcon and saker falcon more such interesting facts.
Grey Falcon Interesting Facts
What type of animal is a grey falcon?
The grey falcon is a medium-sized bird of prey found in low densities in the Australian range. Another medium-sized bird of prey is the northern harrier.
What class of animal does a grey falcon belong to?
The grey falcon belongs to the class of Aves.
How many grey falcons are there in the world?
The population of this species is not abundant. These birds are threatened and rarest of all the falcons found in the world. Although their population is considered to be stable yet there are only 1000 pairs left, and their conservation status is Vulnerable. It can be observed in various protected areas, including the Sturt National Park.
Where does a grey falcon live?
The grey falcon is found in Australia. The distribution range can be anywhere in the arid inland but nonexistent in Cape York. They are found in low densities in the Nullarbor Plain, Gibson, Great Victoria, and the Great Sandy desert range. Charles Sturt, the explorer, also collected two specimens of these birds from New South Wales in Australia.
What is a grey falcon's habitat?
The distribution of this species is scattered in the arid inland areas. They inhabit the grassland of Triodia, the shrubland of Acacia, and the lightly arid woodlands.
Who do grey falcons live with?
The grey falcon is a solitary species but looks out for a partner during the mating season. It is monogamous and pairs for a lifetime.
How long does a grey falcon live?
The average lifespan of falcon in the wild is approximately 12-15 years, but the exact lifespan of the grey falcon is not documented.
How do they reproduce?
When these birds attain sexual maturity, they are ready to breed. The breeding occurs only once a year. The grey falcon is a solitary species, but during the breeding season, it searches for a partner, and being monogamous, it pairs with the same partner for a lifetime.
The nesting happens within their distribution span. However, the duration of nesting may vary according to their habitat. The birds in the north have their nesting season from April-June, while it is July-October for the birds in the south.
What is their conservation status?
The grey falcon of the Falconidae family is probably the most infrequent species of a falcon which can be discovered in Australia. Despite their stable population, the quantity of these birds has decreased over the year due to the loss of their habitat, and only 1000 breeding pairs are left.
The grey falcon was listed as a Near Threatened species, and now the conservation status of these birds, according to IUCN, is Vulnerable in 2012.
Grey Falcon Fun Facts
What do grey falcons look like?
The grey falcon (Falco hypoleucos) is a medium-sized Australian bird from the Falconidae family and is oftentimes confused with the black falcon, which is also found in Australia.
The grey falcon is acknowledged for its grey upperparts, and white underparts with intricate stripes, the wings of these birds are not as tapered as the Kestrel. However, the tips of the wings are black with a yellow cere, and the beak is grey.
The body length is approximately 12-18 in (30–45 cm) and weighs around 0.7-1.3 lb (0.3-0.5 kg).
These birds display sexual dimorphism as the females are comparatively bigger than the males. There is the presence of faded dark tears under the eyes while the rest of the face is white.
Even though the head and the upper parts of this species are white, it has darker grey marks on the wings and darker grey barring on the tail as well.
How cute are they?
These are birds of prey that are more on the side of fierce and feisty than cute.
How do they communicate?
The falcon generally communicates using various calls and body language, but the exact model of the communication of the grey falcon is not described.
How big is a grey falcon?
The grey falcon is a medium-sized species that is a little bigger than the kestrel and has a body length of 12-18 in (30–45 cm) and a wingspan of 3-37 in (85–95 cm). The grey falcon is frequently misidentified with the black falcon which has a body length of 18-22 in (45 – 56 cm).
How fast can a grey falcon fly?
The genus Falco consists of the fastest birds, but the speed depends on the species. The grey falcon possesses great speed, but the exact speed has not been noted.
How much does a grey falcon weigh?
Their weight is approximately 0.7-1.3 lb (0.3-0.5 kg).
What are the male and female names of the species?
The females are bigger than the males and have no distinctive name, while the conventional term for the male falcon is tercel.
What would you call a baby grey falcon?
The chicks of the falcon are known as eyas in general. The female lays almost two or three oval-shaped eggs.
What do they eat?
The grey falcon is a carnivore and depends on other animals for their source of food, including small mammals, reptiles, various invertebrates. Their diet also consists of yellow-rumped hornbills, snakes, house mice.
Are they dangerous?
The falcon is a species with strong territorial instincts. It will not attack humans until it feels threatened or intimidated.
Would they make a good pet?
No, these birds are protected under various laws due to their limited population.
Did you know...
The word ‘hypoleucos’ in Falco hypoleucos has been obtained from a primeval Greek word which means whitish underneath.
What is special about falcons?
The falcon is a bird of prey and is one of the fastest birds on Earth, also the largest genus under the subfamily Falconinae. What distinguishes the falcons from the rest of the birds is the ability to hunt and kill using their beaks, unlike the hawks and eagles who use their claws.
The thin and tapered structure of their wings enables them to fly even faster. Along with speed, falcons are gifted with outstanding eyesight, which is eight times more precise than that of humans, and also have the potential to observe UV rays.
Numerous falcon species are highly migratory and cover beyond 14,913 mi (24,000 km).
Falcons are primarily solitary birds and search for a partner only during the breeding season. Also, they are monogamous and mate for life.
Comparisons with other falcons
There are almost 40 species of falcons under the genus Flaco. The grey falcon (Falco hypoleucos) is an enigmatic bird as well as rare.
There are over 26,000-39,000 pairs of the red-footed falcon, while grey falcons can be found in limited pairs, which are around 1000. The call of the grey falcon is very similar to the peregrine falcon, also called the strongest falcon, and can be characterized as deep or slow.
The grey falcons are slightly bigger than the kestrel, which belongs to the same genus. The eggs of the grey falcons appear identical, but the size is smaller than that of the black falcon.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other birds from our sea eagle facts and white gyrfalcon facts pages.
You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable grey falcon coloring pages.
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