Descriptions of Nests, Eggs, and Young of the Barred Forest-Falcon (Micrastur ruficollis) and of the Collared Forest-Falcon (M. semitorquatus)

Abstract

The genus Micrastur contains six species of small to medium-sized falconids. All are long-tailed, shortwinged, and inhabit forests from southern Mexico to central Argentina (Brown and Amadon 1968). There is little information on the reproductive biology of these species. The nest and young of only one species, the Collared Forest-Falcon (M. semitorquatus), has been described and that from only one breeding pair (Mader 1979). A captive Collared Forest-Falcon at the National Zoological Park laid two eggs in 1968, one of which was salvaged (Wetmore 1974). T. de Vries (pers. comm.) found a pair of Barred Forest-Falcons (M. ruficollis) going in and out of a hole, which he believed was a nest, in the top of a large tree near the forest edge. Other than these reports, the description of nests, eggs, or young of the remaining congeners are unreported (Thiollay 1985).