Audra.u Il7hinaker 198 811/1. B. O. e. 2001 121(3) Andua IfIhillak"r 199 8,,11 H.O.e. 200' 121(3) Notes on the poorly-known Buckley's Forest Falcon M. miroudollei,and ~ mall ones .. re Lined Forest Falcon M. gi/l'icol/ü', Oarred Forest ralcon M. nificollis. and Plumbeus Fo re ~t Falcoll M. plumbellS. Falcon Micrastur buckleyi including voice, Micras/uT ImckJeyi is physieally very similar to thc I¡¡rgel" M. semitOl'qua/u~' but range and first Brazilian records. the lack ofa large museum serics, combined with a complete lack ofany knowledgeoJ" tbe bírds' hiology, havc COl11b íned to cause the laxan01nie confusioll. Traylor (\948) byAndrew Whittaher discovered thal M.bllc/¡h ~ yj descrvcd full speeíes status whi le ídcntifyíng a collectioll Rccei7!ed 29lvfarch 2000 made by José M. Sehunke in 1946 from Yarinacoeha, Lorento Peru. He bascd his eonclusion on tl1ree skins, one in the Chieago Natural History Musellm (CNHM), Duckley's Forest Falcon Micf(I~'fur buckleyi, also knowll as the Lesser Collared from Yarinacocha, Pcru and two from the American Mu~el1m of Natural HistOly Forest Falcon, is one ofthe world's leasl knnwn raptors, rcp"esented by only eleven (AMNH), from eastero Ecuador, Río SUIJO ,lIld San José. known museum spccimcns (Collar er al. 1992). 111C Iype specimen was collecled in The main lllolVhological fealUres scparating rhe two ~pec i es are si7c,principall y 1888 fmm Sarayacu., rasta :t.1, Ecuador. Poor taxonomic undcrst¡mding loo it to be in wing length alld a propOl1 ionately shorter ta rsu~. A eomparison ormeasuremelll$ initially dcscribcd as a r!lce of Collared Forest Falcon Mi(.."ra.~tllr lIIelanulellclIs ( ,, fromcleven maleand ten fe m¡¡1c M. ~'elllitorquahfs 1'1'0111 Pem, Bmzil and Bolivia with s('miforquaflls). Swann (1919) separaled íl fmm nominalesemilorquam50n the basis 4 male and onc J"cmll lc M. bllckleyi illuslrales Ihis smaller s¡:.te ditTerence wdl (Table (lrít~ smaller wing and larsllS, wilh fcet being sma11er and weAker. However, Trnylor 1). The hill 3iso seems lO be smallcr in M. buckleyi (culmen oftypc 16mm) Ihan in M. (194g) conlínned that M. buckleyi was a valid species, nOl only being sma11er Ihan M. semilorquatus, (average 20 mm; n = 11, range 19-21 mm, I\madon 1964). semilort¡lIatlls in a11 dimen~ilJn~ with proportíonately a mueh shorter tarsus, but also Gi ven the striking Sillli laritícs between M. huc/cleyi nnd M. semitorquufus in ¡¡dulr that il oecurrcd ~ympatríc a lly . Thc searcity in colleclions of M. buckleyi, most of plllmagc, as wcll as poorly understood age-relared plumage diiTerences, grcat CMe is which were obtained hislOrica ll y (only two recently in 1977-78), combined with it lleedcd in field identification. Tmporlant field marks, e.g. the numbcr oflail bars anu bcing virtuall y unknown to Neotwpical field omithologisL'i and having a re~trictcd the typc and pattcrn uf unc1erpart markings, are highly variable in immatul"C and distriblltion in westem Am
Taxonotny and identification Sp~~ie, Wing Tar~u, .H. h",;k1~.• i (male) 213.25; 209-2 19 ;4 58.75, 55 -62; 4 The genus Micras/ur cmrenlly consists or 6 speeies of forest falcon (Brown & M. sClllilorqlmlll$ (m,de) 247.0; 237-257: II ~7.0; 82 -91: 11 I\rnac10111989, Siblcy & Monroe 1993,del Hoyoetal. 1994), whichcan be subdivídcd M.. bllckleyj (fema le ) 2 17; 1 65.0; 1 in ro two groups based on si:!C. Large Mic-Tuslllrs comprise "Buckley's !'ores! Falcon M. scmilorqmJ/lu (fe1lJ Hle) 267.0; 257-2g1; 10 g7.0; 82-94; 10 M. budc.leyi, Collared Forest Falcon M. semilorqullhfs, and Slaly-backed Forcsl L I I Andrerv \l7hilloker 200 B/lU, 8.0.e 2001 121(3) Andrew Ilí'hinaher 201 8 .. /1. B.O.C. 2001 12 1(3) plum:lge characlers separatillg il from immalure M. semilurqualUS. Chesl uni fonn Sra..:il, with 73%ofall recorueJ ea tl s belwccn 0535-0555 h and 22% between 174 5- ta~y. with vaguesl suggcstion ofhlackish marks ncarthc tip oflbe fealhers and no 1808 b during 4 1 J ays ()r dawn lo du~k observatiuns on four di ffe rentadullS (Klcin & harnng, wherca.'\ M. semiforqufIIS undcrparts are tawny or bulTy and búldly barred Biem:gaard 1988). l' with crescentric blackish murks. Immature M. buckfeyi h[t~ a ru1i.lllS lluchal collar (Iftwny 01" buff in M. semifurquatuí) and chest with which it is continuous. Under Calls identífied to date are: wing coverts ~nd linings white, wflshcd with buff, and with ollly the ~ li ghtcst indication Territorial adverlisilZg song of dark mark11lgs, whereas M. semilorquatus has conspicuous black ar dark brown M. btlck{eyi's "territorial advertising song" is lhe mest commonly heard call and cross markings. consists typieaHy of 2 loud notes "EEOK, OOW" (rig. 1, e & E) al' 3 loud notC!! Usc!'ul Jícld marks fo r M. buckleyi are il<; overal] smaller size with a noticeably "EEOK, OOW, ..... Ow" (Fig. l. A & B). This e¡¡n be descrilll:! d as a 2- or 3-note loud proportlonately smaller hcau (pers. obs), and adultsshow lhrcc broad whitc tail bars nasal call with a somewhat cchoing quality, Ihe first nOle more emphatic than the not including thc buft7white pale tcrm inallail fringe. However, tl1e Ilumberoftail b3l~ sccond bird using immalurcs have from 4 to 6 whilc/bufftail bars, nol inclllding Ihe terminal tail fringe. the 2-11ote call, while Í1s mate jOillS in with a ¡-note cat!. Ihis gives Ihe impression Ferna le. M. buckley~ show diagnostic white spots on the scapu l ar~ and seeondaries, (ffom a distanee) that on ly une bird is prodllcing Ihe 3-llote version ufthe eall. The a~ prevlOu~ly dcsenbcd. lmmatul'cs have a slriking bright tawny upper breast band pair call antiph~mally and can contilllle for we]] over a minute. Another varilltion and nuchal collar and dullcr r1.lfous upper breast band, contrasting with buffthroat involvcs both birds lIsing thc 2-11ote song ty pe. and lower underpart" with 4-5 widely spaced hold brown bars anta lower breasl' remaining lower underparts are unmarked or the barring is less hold but cx t end~ H:xcited terriforial ca{ú· The..'iC ca tl s are usually givcn during jntmspecific territorial conflict or are ofien down !J\C nanks aud thighs, being ubsenl fru m the centre of lower underparts, with solicitcd by playback to ¡I lone bird or pair, similar 10 Ihe behaviour ol" M. browner/blackish tajl and bolder bullier ta íl bars and ternlinal h\il fri nge. tape rufiC()/lis (Thorslrom 1993). This catl (Fig. 1, O &.F) is a fa ~ t series of regularl y spaced short In Peru 1 noted the following dc:.¡cription in Ihe field from M. buckfeyi: upperparts no tes varying in nnmber ( 12-30), whicb gain gradua ll y in volllme, ending with two du rk grey on both back and wings, contrasting with darker hood; lail slighll y darker emphatic loud notes with:l pause between them. " ...... uk-uk-llk-uk-uk CAHO', th,m back with 4 obvious white Iramverse tail bars, bUI uppcr hand ~ometimes obscured by wing tips; tai! with a terminal while fringe. Cere !!nd lores yellow; bill ... OW". The long string of ca]] notes sound almos! li ke week laughter and could possibly be confused with a Laugbing Falcon He/1Jetotheres cachinnans, or a female dark grey/black, looking smaller in proportion toMo ~·ell!iturquatu.l'; eyes dark brown M. semitorquutwi nt the nest site (Thorstrom etul. 2000u,b). The intensity and numbel' wi.lh bare yellow orbital skin alld eyebrow. Underparts ereamy white; yellow legs 01' notes can vary grcatJy aner repeated tape playhack, witb more agítated bird~ bl"l~hterthan cere; white ncck collar vcry broad and prominenl; du! l white carcovel1s. adding more notes (Fig, 1, .F), but aB series alwa)'s end with the louder emphalie two T!\Js plumage mo~ t probably re Je rs lO a sub-adult male. notes. Vocalizations Territorial duel This vocali zation (Fig. 1, G) js hcard mostly around dawn. with one ofthe pairstarting Th.e voice of M. (~uckleyi remaillcJ unknown to ornithologisls until very recenlly, wifu "excited territorial c..'l I1~ "; then it<¡ mate joins in wil h the 3-note "lerrito1"Í¡ll bmng confused wltb olher Micrasfur spccies, until Paul Coopman.~ (pcrs. comm.) advertising song". These calls are heard in territorial confliet, a~ well as being solieited tape-recorded the ~pecics ' voice on 20 Novembcr 1993 at Suchu Lodge, Rio Napo, by tape playback. [CUlldor. Voiee recognition ofM. buckleyi since has increflsed fie ld reeords ofthis H!tle known fores! [aleon in the past dccade. Here 1 presenl the fi rst detailed description Food Begging Calls ofyoung ()I" M. huckleyi vocal izations 8nd i11c1ude spectograms of its vocal repertoire (Fig. 1). These cans, recorded by 1. Arwín, comprise ora pel'sistently repeated series ofshert . M. buckfeyi, as with lTIUSI Mic:rastl/l's, calls mainly c. 30 min Jeading up to dawn hollow notes "ow,ow,ow,OW,OW,OW,OW,OW,OW,OW,OW,OW,OW,ow,ow". The number ornotes in each series varied fmm 14- 17, lasting 8 or Y seconds, and was wllh:\ smallcrpeak around du~k (Thors!rom 1993). The pre-dawt\ calling perio
The "territori¡tI advelt ising sung" is Ihe principal and most commonly heard ll1()st readily confused MicrQSlur with M. bucklcyi. Howcvcr, M. buck{eyi gives the vocalíz:llion oC M. blfckleyi, "nd is distillguished from all fou r other sympalric diagnoslic 3-notc call wíth thc distinct long pause before tbe last note (Fig 1, & 13). MicraSLUr species "territorial advcltising songs" as lollows: M. semllorqllatus The "lelTi taríal advcrtísing song" is <1 :-¡l()wly repeated single luud ho llow nOle M. gilvicollis 1- "cow... cow... cow..... (Tlílly & Brown 1986). All hough morphologically lhe mosl similar This spccies' "terriloriall'ldvcrtising 50ng" is a rcpcalctl 2-mllc, rarcly 3~no t c, lamcntillg l' tu M. bllckleyi, this difference in Cl"l 11 is diagnost;f;. ¡ bark "ar, hit". Although M. buckleyi's voiee differs having longer phmses th¡tt are I I lowcr pitched, more widely :'\paced and muc h louder, M. Xi1vico/lis is '1ocall y lhe M. mirandollei This species' "territorial a d vc rti ~i n g song" is <1 st:rics or 9- 14 repeated, dmwn oul A nasal notes, "ah, AAH, AA H, AAH, AAH, AAH, AAH, AAH, AHH", strikingly difk-renl Jrom M. buckleyi. a ~ . M. mflcollis ~j , ....-r- - - The "lerrilorial adve rt i~in g song" is ti long rcpeated series uf dislincl sharp barks o 1.0 LO 2.0 .H 3 . 5 U Timo (. o A Il dr~w W7n'traktr 20 4 Rul/. R.O,e. 2001 12 1(3) ANd".w WhilJa ker 205 8,,"- B.O.e 2001 121(3) hidden from view in a di ~ turb ed rorest edge 250 m trom t!le river. Thc terra fi rme 4. .T. Minns and R. Parrin i (pers. comm.) tape-recorded one unknowll Micra.... tur J bre~ 1 here had :l grcater relid and largc amounts of Guadua bamboo in the speeies aL 0605 h on 14 September 1999 at Foz do Hreu, Rio Tejo, an casI bank understorey. The following pre-dawn, at about 0630 h, r made 3nOl hcr tll pe tribul<1ry ofthe Ri o Juruá, Ac re, which 1 ]¡Uerconf"inncd Lo be M. buckleyi. recording from th.c ~a me localil y and afierlapc playback a territorial pa ir ofbirds During fi eld wnrk al I'orongaba t recorded M. semilorquahls not onl y sympatric appro¡¡ehecJ to withi n lOO m <1nd I tapc-recorded the pairdueling (Fíg. I G). with M. buckleyi bul synlopic, and 1_ San José de Sumaca, Napo (Ec \1~dor) , 2- Rio SUIlO (Ecuador), 3- Ty p ~ 1'¡¡ ~ ta~a (EC UIl dol"), 4. 8ehaviour Cordill era de CLltll CIÍ (Ecuador), 5-0rcsa (1'eru), 6-KusÍl (Pcm), 7_Rul Cenepll (Peru), 8. Pcrico(Pcru}, \I-Ynrln nCL1Clm rr~ ru), IO - Ha~iellda Vil1acannen (Peru) 11- La Selva Lodgc (Ec LI "uor), ; Encounters in the Jíeld with M. huckleyi wilhin its forested environment are rare; it is 12- Ri(, Pacuyacu (Ecuador), 13- Rio Napo, Su~ha Lodgc (Eollador), 14-Til'utini (Ecuador), 15 . an incon~picuous and elusive raptor. The few ob ~ ervations J made wcrc or calling Kapa wi Lodgc, Rio Pns laza (F.c LI~ dor), 16- Rio Pichana (Peru), 17-Iquitos, Ama zonas (Ponl) , 111_ í individuals or pairs, particul arly nlicl" lape playbaek arollnd dawn. A typieal response Po mngaba (Brnzil) , 19- S~n n g L ler iLlh o (Bru7.il), 20-Rio Annonia (Urazi!) 21-Had cnda A m ~:"'lIIiN , to tape playback entices a lone bird 01" a territorht! pair to approach silcntly, out or Atalaya (Peru), 22- Lago Agrio (& L\~d o r ) , 23 - Lagaltocooha (Ec uador), 24-RII) A¡,warico (Peru), 25- Ri() Alll ncayacÍl (Colombia). 26· Boca de Mautl (Peru), view in the thiek covcr in lhc sub canopy. On a pereh they remain still and si!ent, j Alldrcw Whitwka 206 BIIII. B.O,e 2001 121(3) And,-ew IVhiuaker 207 BIIII. B.O.e 2001 121(3) watching, and are therefore easily overlooked. However, aftcr a dclay from 10-15 variations) buL al so thc bc~t meLhod of 10cating this clusive species. Howcver, minutes they soml:timcs start calling again, giving away their presence. observers' familiarity with the voices ofthe commoner Mícrasltl/"speeies with which Onc vocalizing bird, observcd in early morning as it pcrehed on top of a dead iL is sympalric i~ esscntial. For 111any secretive and poorly-known Neotropical forest snag over 20 m high in lhe sub-canopy oftelTa fimlc forest at aman made cdge, threw species vocal recognition is the most important key, for not only finding lhe species it's head backwards c. 40 degrees each time it emitted the 3 noLc "lelTitorial adveltising but also identification (Parkcr 1991, Whittaker 1998). Incorporating into survcy work song", lüwcring ils head lo a normal position between calling bouts. Another the method of"trawling" with tape playback of M. buckleyi "tclTilorial advertising individual, seen flying a short distance through the canopy, upon landing on a dead song" in suitable habital at pre-dawn and dusk will grcatly increase the possibilily 01' stump shook its long graduatcd tail and then pumped it downwards towards the finding this majestic forest faleon. bodya few times while looking around. After scttling down on the perch the bird held its tail down vertical1y and lhen pushed it c. 10-15 degrees towards its body, holding AcknowJedgmen ts it in lhis position. Financial suppo)'l for pan 01' rny travclling wa~ providcd by thc John D. ami CMhc)'inc T J. Ar,'r'in (pers. cornrn), observed:m adult M. buckleyi perehcd 1 m aboye an M;¡~Arlhur Foundatioll, the National Geographic Socicty and Wildlife Conservation Society, For lravellinf\ opporiuniiics in Pcru I would like to thank Victor Emanucl Nature TOllr~ Ud. I thank active army ant swann al Tiputini,Ecnador. Other attendant obligate amly anL birds, Keith 13rown for his hclp and cncouragement in the líeld, oIicn nndcr difficult circltmslanCcS, and Sooty Anlbirds Myrmecizaforlis and Goeldi's Antbirds M. j{oeldií, were following J, R. Makol11, J. Patton, M.N. dil Silv" and C. GaseOll alld Diol1isi" Pimcntcl Neto for their the front ofthc swarrn along with several woodcreepers (Dendroeolaptidae), and all companionship. Thc manu~cripl was f\rcatly illlproved by commCIllS from Palll Sal aman and ignored lhe raptor's presence. This suggests that M: buckleyi was not hunting for Cbris Feare to wholll I alll very thal1kfuL Many thanks to the followiTlg 101' sharing persollal birds but either reptiles or larger insects tleeing rrom lhe swann, This behaviour has nnpllblished observations and tape recording~: Paul Cooplllans, JOhll Arwil1, Palll (¡recntield, Jolm V Moorc, RO~rl Ridg~ly, Marlirl Kclscy, Paul SallI11l,\il, Barry Walkel' and David C. Wegc. A bccn noled ror other forest falcons (Willis el al. 1983), special thanks to Mol'! and Phyllis Isler who preparcd thc map and spectograms, in David Agro Nothing is known ofthe breerung ofM. buckleyi, althongh J. Arwin (jx:rs. com111.), ji,r allowing me lo 11S~ hi~ ,Iide, and Tholllas Schulenberg 101' his constant help wirh lcx;aling reported two or possibly three iledgcd young and two adults at Tiputini Biodiversity marlll~aipl,. Thanks e>;peci¡Illy lo my wifc Nadime Whittaker and Illy two children St~ven and Center, Ecuador, in August 1995 but lhe ncst was not seen. The fledglings gave Lllana fol' their constant snpport and encouragemenl in my work while T have hecn away from distinct "food begging calls" from the canopy of emergent trces. The young did not home ror IOl1g periods, respond to tape playback of their own calls, bul playback of an adult "territorial :Rd'erences: advertising song" solicited a strong response, with one fledgling leaping down fmm Allladon, D. 1964. Taxanomic notes on birds of prey. Amnican MlIseulIl Novilllle.' No. 2166, perch to perch out of the canopy, through the mid slorey until it perched in thc Brown, L. H, & Amadorl, D. 196H. t;ag/es, hall'ks ami fillmll.l' of/he fl-'orld. Coun!ry Lile Books, understorey only a few metres aboye lhe reeordi~t. Thc J1cdglings were heard calling London. over the following week from thc same general area within the f(¡rest. The same food Brown, LH, & J\mad{)fl,19R9. ¡:;lIgle.I', IlIIwks alldfil/colIs (d'/he ",o,-Id. Wdlfleet Pres>, SeacallClIs, New Jersey. begging call of M. buckleyiwas also heard by J. Arwin (pers. comm.) at Manu Lodge, Collar N. J., GOl¡zaga L.P.. Krabbe N., Madroño Nielo A., Naranjo, L.O., T'ilrker, T A III & Wege, Peru in AuguSl 1997. The nc~t of M. buck/eyi remains to be diseovered, but it may O.e. 1992. Thre(llell~d binl.\' (Jf ¡he Amerieas. Smitho~onian Institution .Press. \V,,~hingllln nesl in tree cavities, as do its re1atives M. semitorquatus and M. rt!ficollis (Mader and London. 1979, 'fhorstrom el. af2000a, Thor~tromel. a/2000b). Del Hoyo, J.A. ElIiot, A, & Sargatal, J. (cds.) 1994. Handbook 'd ¡he "in/s o( Ihe It'orld. Vol 2. Lynx Fdicions, Barcelona, l-lilty, S.L., & Urown, D L. 19S6, A guille to Ihe hirds '!( C%mbi , i AtlJrew Whiltuker 20S Bull, B.O. e. 2001 Ill(J) ['"ut CooplllatjS el al. 209 Bull. B.O,e. 2001 121(3) r hor'OlJ'om, R" Ra mo¡, J. D. & Cas!illll, 1.M. 20()Ob. Rn:edillg lliology of U8 !H.'d FOJ'Cfa F~Jcons Krabbe & Schulenberg (1997) showed thatScytulopus "unicolor" parvimstr[~ differcd (Mi(;r"stur ru ficollh) in Nonheastern G""te'n¡.la. ¿fu!" 1 17: 7U _7X6. dnmlaticall y in voiee fmm Scyta/opus " unicolor" {"tmm and S. "u." subcinereus T hor~ jmlll , R. K., Turley, C. W., Ram,fU, R. G. & Gilroy, U.A. 19<)().l)cserir tion Orllt'jils. ...I/.!;R ~l1 d youl1g of .he O ~rrcd Forest Falcon (Mjera.~I"r ruficolfis) and of , he Collllrcd Forc~ 1 (see below), making it c1ear that parviro.~lris is a sepa r~te spccics. IJo~ever, vocal Fal col'l (U. X"lIl1wrqual l< s). ("undor 92:237·239. data werc lacking fo r unicolor, and these authors leH /afrans, sulx.mef'elL~. :md Traylor. M. A . Jr. 1948. Ncw billb (rom Pern and Ecuador. Fif'Jdimw. 7.QQ1., 31:19~-200. inlermedius as subspecies ofSCylalOpll.~ unicolor, whieh was a conservall ve approach. Wq¡e. V C. & LoI1g. A. J. 1995. Kqareusfi,,· /Ium/ened hUTL~ in ¡he Nwtrol'ks. Ri .¡llife Imernatiunal In 1998 pe ubla incd UlpC recordjogs 01' two individuals of nmninalc uniculor (Bird lile c ') l'I serv ~ li()n series S). Cambridge, IJK. Whillllker. A. 1998. ObselV:lliol1.' onlhe bchavioUJ". voca l i~ a lion s ~ m l o1i.,tribUl ion o r.he Glossy-baded near Cajabamba (the Iype locality rOl unicolor), on Ihe east slope of Ihe Wcs.lcm Bccard P¡,cIlYl"lllIIpllu$ s//rlnam, •• , a poorly·kl1owl1 canopy inhabita lll of AJI):l;rol1bn ra i l1 ri. ' resl~ . Andes in soulhLTIl Dcp IO . Cnjamarca. nOlthem Peru. These recent tape recordmgs Arujullll 6: 37-4 1. (as well as add itional record ings o f {) sing le bird obla incd by Richard Web!oo1.cr and Wllill~ker. A. & Oren. V.C. 1999. Importanl tJrIlithological records 1"'1111 n,o: Riu JI1Htá, WC¡ lern Rose Ann Rowlctt, also nCM Cajabambu, un 20 Oclober 1996) n:vcallhal both song AmD~olliD, iuclmlin!( Iwelvc addi¡i,lflS lo lile Br~/.i h¡¡ n 3vifaul1l1. Bul!. Brll. Or/1. el. ! 19: 235- 260. and calls of nominate IInicolor tl ifl"cr slriking!y from Ihose of lulrans, subcinerells, Willis, E. O., Wechsler, Ll.& Stile!<, F.ú, 19~3. Forest l'a1cons, hawh, and Dpygmy·\)wl liS an! fo llowcn., and parvim.rtri.r (rig~. 1-2). Ve¡: Bru.t 8io/,42:23-28, Distribution AdJn:.\',I'· Cnuj\lntn A ~ariq ,,¡¡r~. Alcxill, Ru~ Sanmurnas 214, Manaus, Am~zonas 6\1085-053, BrOl.i1; e mDil: Birdir\g((!1inle111t:::o;t,com.br Thc Iype scrie~ uf S. unicolor consisted ofa paír 11'om Cajabmnba (2,750 m), o~ Ihe casi slope of the Western Andes in sourhern Cajamarca, and of a femak from