Hi Tony,
Here's a few personal thoughts on distinguishing Black from Brown:
. Black Falcon: when sitting, the best diagnostic for Black Falcon
(apart from being 'black' or rather dark) is the length of the feathers
around the legs, which cover the legs, often described as trousers. In
flight the distinction between Black and Brown is actually very obvious:
aside from being sooty-brown the Black Falcon is a very fast, strong
falcon with pointed wings and a somewhat diamond shape. They fly in a
similar way to a Peregrine.
. Brown Falcon: on the other hand are very awkward fliers (as David
Clarke suggests), flapping their wings like a bloody Galah (literally
and metophically), taking forever (for a falcon) to get from one place
to another. They also don't wear the long trousers of a Black Falcon,
preferring (like most birders) to wear shorts. Dark-phased Browns are
regularly miss-identified as Black Falcon.
Indecently recent studies have found that dark-morph Browns are not
really a 'morph' at all (such as a white-morph Grey Goshawk). Dark
morphs are actually immature birds, particularly females. For reference
see the following article, sourced
http://www.publish.csiro.au/nid/96/paper/MU02028.htm: 'Variable plumage
and bare part colouration in the Brown Falcon, Falco berigora: the
influence of age and sex', Emu 103(1) pp21-28.
Hope this helps - and good luck.
Tim Dolby
_______________________________
I've been looking at pictures and reading up but I would like some
advice from the collective experience of the list. Can anyone tell me
some good field marks or behaviour/habitat/jizz type advice to help
distinguish a Black Falcon from dark morphs of Brown Falcons. I see a
lot of Brown Falcons of all morphs in my work but every so often I think
"is that a Black Falcon" but as I'm working I can't spend a lot of time
observing.
Some key features would help a lot.
Cheers Tony
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