Associated Articles.
Meet the Bat Falcon.
Now, back to the bat falcon.
This mega-rarity was among 5 new species added to the ABA Checklist in August 2022. The other 4 types consist of 2 presented parrots now breeding in the US; a Eurasian rarity, the rufous-tailed rock-thrush; and the Chihuahuan meadowlark, a new species just recently split off of the Eastern Meadowlark.
Bat falcons (Falco rufigularis) are widespread in the Neotropics, living in forests and forest clearings in the lowlands of Mexico, Central America, and northern South America..
Considered that their variety just nudges the US-Mexico border, its not a complete shock that a person would wind up in southern Texas. (Its definitely not as odd as the stubborn Stellers sea eagle thats still appearing around New England and eastern Canada, very far from its house in eastern Asia.).
But even if it wasnt totally unexpected doesnt mean its any less interesting..
© Robin Gwen/ Flickr.
At a quick glimpse, the bat falcon looks like a peregrine falcon. They have the exact same chunky falcon shape, yellow legs, grey plumage, a disallowed underbelly with a white chest, and dark head.
As you may have guessed, bat falcons are called for one of their (lots of) victim species: bats. Bat falcons take in bats, little birds (swifts, swallows, hummingbirds, parakeets), bugs, reptiles, and amphibians. Theyre crepuscular, meaning theyre most active at dawn and sunset, which is a hassle-free time to capture bats as they concern or from their daytime roosts. Like lots of birds of prey, male bat falcons are smaller than females, and so they typically take smaller sized victim, like pests. The larger females are more likely to eliminate and consume bats and birds..
Bat falcons are considered a species of Least Concern by the IUCN, although their populations are decreasing.
A bat falcon in Costa Rica returns to its perch with a cicada. © Tom Murray/ Flickr.
The Celebrity Falcon of Santa Ana.
To the delight of birders, the bat falcon stayed in Santa Ana National Wildlife Rrfuge till early March. By late December she had tied the previous record of 724 birds, and the bat falcon was # 725.
Even if youre refraining from doing a Big Year, the bat falcon is a timely pointer to keep your eyes peeled, specifically if youre birding on the fringes of the ABA Checklist Area.
You never understand what might show up..
Most of the 1,133 types on the ABA Checklist are species that regularly reproduce in or move through the ABA area. Occasionally, a handful of brand-new birds are contributed to the list. These are generally vagrants that have turned up on accident (like the bat falcon), introduced types with little breeding populations (like many types of feral parrot), or taxonomic splits, when an existing bird types is “split” into 2 types based upon new science.
Prior to being contributed to the list, reported rarities are vetted by a committee of professional ornithologists to ensure that the species is properly recognized..
So why do these lists matter? Initially, the ABA Checklist serves as the authorities record of birds for the location, documenting and vetting rarity reports for posterity. Second, the list matters for the subset of birders who love to keeps lists, or those chasing a Big Year..
Throughout a Big Year, a birder attempts to view as many species as possible in a specific geographical location throughout a fiscal year. You can do a Big Year in your yard, your county, or in your state. A little, hardcore group of birders go for a Big Year throughout the whole ABA Area, contending to see who can break the record..
Whichs where the ABA Checklist can be found in. Big Years are governed by a set of rules, and among those rules is that youre just enabled to count species on the official list. If you snatch a brand-new rarity, like the bat falcon, your sightings require to be formally vetted and accepted by the ABA prior to you can count them..
These are usually vagrants that have turned up on mishap (like the bat falcon), introduced species with little breeding populations (like many species of feral parrot), or taxonomic divides, when an existing bird types is “split” into 2 types based on new science.
At a fast glimpse, the bat falcon looks like a peregrine falcon. As you might have guessed, bat falcons are called for one of their (many) prey types: bats. Bat falcons consume bats, little birds (swifts, swallows, hummingbirds, parakeets), pests, reptiles, and amphibians. By late December she had actually tied the previous record of 724 birds, and the bat falcon was # 725.
Sometime in December 2021, a stubborn bat falcon turned up in southern Texas.
Reported by Rebecca Gelernter on December 8th, in Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, the falcon triggered a small sensation in the American birding community. Over the next couple of weeks, thousands of birders gathered to see the falcon, all excited to tick off a brand-new types to their bird lists..
Previously this month, the American Birding Association (ABA) officially added the bat falcon to the ABA Area Checklist. Lets get to understand the United States latest bird..
Checklist Redux.
A fast wrap-up on the ins and outs of the ABA Checklist.
The American Birding Association keeps the main record of bird types recorded in the ABA Checklist Area, that includes the United States (including Hawaii), Canada, and waters as much as 200 miles offshore. (Essentially, its anything north of Mexico, minus Bermuda, The Bahamas, and Greenland.).