Laughing Falcon
Herpetotheres cachinnans
About This Species
Perches conspicuously on high, exposed branches at forest edges and clearings, scanning the ground for snakes, its main prey, which it kills with a sharp bite to the head. Most reliably detected by its far-carrying, laughing or barking call, often given in duet at dawn and dusk. Listening at first or last light near forest-savanna boundaries gives the best chance of locating one before it flies.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- A respectful distance of a few tens of metres with binoculars is usually enough, since the species tolerates being watched from a stationary position more readily than a direct approach.
- Wildlife protection rules differ across its range from Mexico through South America, so confirm local regulations, particularly inside protected areas where off-trail access may be restricted.
- Avoid repeated playback of its call to draw a hunting bird into view, since this can pull it away from prey it depends on.
LCAvesFalconiformesFalconidae
Seasonal Activity
229,234 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
All monthsThis month
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Falconiformes
- Family
- Falconidae
Photo
(c) Lina Crespo, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Lina Crespo
CC-BY-NC-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.