/
Impressive dark falcon, with broad shoulders, feathered legs, and long, pointed wings.
VIC: Vulnerable; WA: Rare; NT: Critically Endangered
Endemic to Australia
Indigenous: Wandhala
At a glance
FamilyFalcons and Caracaras
SizeLarge
RarityCommon
HabitatOpen country, coast, woodland edge, river corridors, and thermal-rich skies over fields or ridgelines.
Best timeMost reliable in Victoria from January to April.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by Marc Anderson
Range map
Range map
3755visible hotspots
17433visible records
5states
SparseModerateDense hotspot
Aggregated occurance data is sourced from 14 different actively-updating datasets including eBird Australia, iNaturalist Australia, BirdLife Australia, and multiple state-based bird surveys through Atlas of Living Australia.
Species notes
Overview
Often confused with darker individuals of Brown Falcon, a species with larger, blocky head, unfeathered legs, less pointed wings, and more pronounced tear-drop mark below the eye.
Behavior
Favors open environments, where it is an aggressive aerial hunter, frequently observed in rapid pursuit of birds.
Gallery