Bird guideGray Falcon

The grey falcon is one of the world's rarest falcons, and possibly the rarest of the Australian falcons, and may also have been historically uncommon.

⚠️Vulnerable
🚫Sensitive species — location data may be restricted
🍃Indigenous: Smoke Hawk, Blue Hawk

At a glance

FamilyFalcons and Caracaras
SizeLarge
RarityUncommon
HabitatSeldom-seen pale gray falcon of inland Australia found in arid grassland and woodland habitats, where it sometimes perches high on communication towers.
Best timeMost reliable in Queensland from July to August.

Sounds

Sound sample
0:000:00
Recorded by Jim Holmes

Range map

Range map

583visible hotspots
824visible records
5states
Low confidenceMediumHigh confidence

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

Seldom-seen pale gray falcon of inland Australia found in arid grassland and woodland habitats, where it sometimes perches high on communication towers. Pale gray upperparts and white underparts, with faint dark streaks below. Legs fully feathered (unlike the long, bare legs of Brown Falcon). Wings not as pointed as hobby or Peregrine Falcon.

Behavior

Pale inland Brown Falcons are often misidentified as this species: note that Gray Falcon is unlikely to be seen perched in low bushes or feeding from the ground.

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