From Opus

Falco novaeseelandiae

Photo by Ornitho26
Location: near Queenstown (NZ)

[edit] Identification

Black above, buff barred and streaked below, long sickle shaped wings.

[edit] Male

43 cm, 300 g

[edit] Female

47 cm, 500 g

[edit] Distribution

New Zealand

[edit] Taxonomy

Monotypic species.

[edit] Habitat

Open woodland and forest edge, grassland and farmland.

[edit] Behaviour

[edit] Diet

Diet includes birds up to the size of a duck or a gull, also small ground mammals and lizards, and some insects.

[edit] Breeding

Nests are built in inaccessible places, preferring rock crags where a scrape will be made. 2-3 eggs are laid between September and December with incubation and fledging taking about three months.

[edit] External Links

• Falcons for Grapes