New Zealand Falcon

(Falco novaeseelandiae)                                                                            BUSH FALCON
Also known as Karearea, sparrow hawk, bush hawk.

Live: Very rare north of Auckland.

Habitat: Scattered populations throughout both main islands and some small islands also. Breeding restricted to main ranges. Numbers are falling due to habitat loss through land clearing, introduced predators, reduced prey species, environmental poisoning ( resulting in breeding failure) and illegal shooting.

Diet:In the wild: Mostly birds, both native and introduced species. Some mammals and insects are hunted also. Small, smooth stones are swallowed to grind food. Carrion does not seem a regular part of the diet.
Zoo diet: Mice and day-old chickens daily. Enclosure cleaned weekly.

Breeding: August - December.
Nest: a scrape under cover of a rock, log etc or in epiphytes on trees.
Eggs: 2-4 slightly ovoid pink ,dulling to rusty brown over time. A second clutch may be laid to replace lost/ infertile eggs. Both male and female guard the nest and share incubation duty, the male hunting for food for both. Incubation lasts approx 30 days.

Status: Endemic, endangered

General: Size to 45 cm. Female larger than male.
Colouration mostly brown with grey bars on upper, lighter throat, barred chest grading to rust coloured lower. Male has dark brown iris, black bill (blue-grey base), yellow legs with black claws and a blue-black back of head and neck region. Female has yellow cere, eye ring and legs, less blue-black.

Call: Repeated short sharp call and a range of others.

Habits: Hunting may involve soaring or perching in a high spot to launch a diving attack from above. May also fly low and flush birds out of hiding. Strongly territorial. Roost in holes in cliff tops. Courtship involves the male mock-attacking or tempting her with food. Food may be plucked before eating, and if large, stashed for finishing later.

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Chicks: White down replaced about 11 days with a thicker grey coat. Pink legs and beak, fading to grey at about 10 days. Fed by female for first 10 days or so. Fledge at around 55 days but can fly about 20 days earlier.