![]() The bush and southern New Zealand falcons are listed as threatened species due to population decline. Threats to the New Zealand falcon are not well understood. Nestlings are fed by both parents but the male does most of the hunting with the female guarding close to the nest until the nestlings are close to fledging, which occurs between 31 and 45 days after hatching. Rather, it makes a scrape on the ground, under a rocky outcrop or in an epiphyte in an emergent forest tree into which it lays its eggs.Ī typical clutch consists of 2–4 eggs which take about 33 days to hatch. Like all falcons, the New Zealand falcon does not build a nest. Their diet includes a range of animals, including insects, mammals and lizards, but consists mainly of birds. They kill their prey with a quick powerful bite to the neck. They hunt live prey, mainly by watching from a vantage point and making a fast direct flying attack and either striking or grasping the prey with their feet which are equipped with sharp talons. The New Zealand falcon is capable of flying at speeds over 100 km/h, and can catch prey larger than itself. Males weigh between 240 g and 350 g, while females weigh between 410 g and 720 g. 'Southern' falcons are intermediate in size and colouration and live in Fiordland, Stewart Island and the Auckland Islands.Īdult New Zealand falcons measure between 40 cm and 50 cm. Large paler 'Eastern' falcons live in open dryer habitats east of the Southern Alps but extend from coast to coast in central South Island. They are found in the North Island, mainly south of Hamilton and NW South Island as far south as Greymouth. The small dark ‘Bush’ falcons live in forests. ![]() The highest known density of the species is found in Kaingaroa pine forest in the central North Island. Recently, plantation pine forests have been found to be important breeding habitats for falcons. The falcon has a wide distribution, being found on both the North and South Islands and several offshore islands, including Stewart Island and the subantarctic Auckland Islands. One of 38 species of falcon worldwide, the New Zealand falcon is endemic to this country.
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