Collared forest falcon
species of bird
The collared forest falcon (Micrastur semitorquatus) is a species of bird of prey in the family Falconidae. It is the largest member of the Micrastur genus and a common inhabitant of tropical rainforests in Latin America. Hiding in the dense forest canopy, they are a secretive bird often only recognized by their distinctive call. With a morphology or body type allowing them to be agile in their forested habitat, their diet comprises a wide variety of prey from smaller frogs (20 g) to adult turkeys (2.7-3.2 kg).
Nesting occurs mainly in the cavities of Spanish cedar trees, which are also a key species exploited by the local logging industry. This is a potential conservation concern for the collared forest falcon.
Description
The collared forest falcon has a dark coloured back with a white neck and breast. The species has three morphological variants (morphs): pale, tawny and dark. The former two have a light coloured collar at the back of their neck, which explains their name. This is the largest species of the forest falcon genus, with a total length of 46 to 58 cm (18 to 23 in), wingspan of 72 to 86 cm (28 to 34 in) and male weights of 467 to 646 g (1.030 to 1.424 lb), averaging some 523 g (1.153 lb), and female weights of 649–940 g (1.431–2.072 lb), averaging 740 g (1.63 lb), this species is nearly the size of peregrine falcon albeit longer-tailed and much shorter-winged.
The public source identifies “Collared forest falcon” as species of bird. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Collared, forest and falcon.
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Stable identifiers, scientific names and standards terminology offer the best bridge between this overview and specialist evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Mar 26, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q594915. The Library of Congress control number is sh2010012062. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank.
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This entry incorporates text from “Collared forest falcon” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.