Orange-breasted Falcon

33-39 cm. A big compact falcon, not as slender as /falco rufigularis . The adult has sides of head and upperparts mainly black, dorsal feathers margined bluish slate: primaries barred buff on inner webs: the tail is white-tipped and with three or four narrow white bands: throat and forehead creamy white: chest orange-rufous to chestnut-rufous: sides and abdomen black, the feathers heavily spotted and barred irregularly with buff or whitish: lower abdoimen, tibiae, and under tail coverts chestnut rufous: tail coverts marked with black: iris dark brown: cere and eye ring yellowish green: bill yellowish, tipped plumbeous: legs yellow.<nThe immature is similar, but the dorsal feathers are margined with buffy brown: chest paler, lower abdomen and tibiae tawny streaked and barred with black.

A fast high kyekyekyekyekyekye...

Perch-hunts from the tallest vantage points: pursues prey, mostly ducks, pidgeons, parrots or oropendolas, in swift flight.

Very rare in humid lowland rainforest.

Forests close to rivers and on wooded off-shore islands. In Estado S<C4>o Paulo historical records from <8E>Pontal near Franca, Ilhabela ^119 .

Wings are broader-based and tail thicker and relatively shorter and graduated than /falco rufigularis . Note also the greenish cere and orbital ring, clean white throat and coarser scalloped barring of the belly ;^189 .