Designed by Paul Smith 2006. This website is copyrighted by law.
Material contained herewith may not be used without the prior written permission of FAUNA Paraguay.
Material on this page was provided by Paul Smith, Karina Diarte, Marcelo Bombaci and Alberto Esquivel and are used with their permission.
LAUGHING FALCON Herpetotheres cachinnans
Listen to the loud call of this large falcon and you will see where his name comes from, it sounds just like the hysterical laughter of a maniac! Though widespread he is nowhere common, except perhaps in the Low Chaco where several may be seen perched on telegraph poles along the Trans-Chaco Highway. He is an adaptable bird, favouring open habitats with scattered trees that give him a good vantage point from which to survey his surrundings, but in some areas he even enters humid forest!
Click on the images to enlarge them.
Gallery 1  Live individuals
FIGURE 1a - (FPAVE2267PH) Adult, Bahía Negra, Departameento Alto Paraguay (Paul Smith September 2006).
FIGURE 1b - (FPAVE2268PH) Adult, location unknown (Karina Diarte Photography)
FIGURE 1c - (FPAVE2269PH) Adult, location unknown (Alberto Esquivel undated).
FIGURE 1d - (FPAVE2270PH) Adult in flight, near Fortín Infante Rivarola, Departamento Boquerón (Marcelo Bombaci October 2007).
VIDEO - (FPAVE2271VI) Same individual as (FPAVE2267PH) (Paul Smith September 2006).
FIGURE 1a

FIGURE 1a
FIGURE 1b

FIGURE 1b
FIGURE 1c

FIGURE 1c
FIGURE 1d

FIGURE 1d
Gallery 2 Roadkill individual
The following individual was found freshly dead on the Ruta Trans Chaco 30km SE of Mariscal Estigarribia
FIGURE 2a - (FPAVE4154PH) Head roadkill (Paul Smith February 2015).
FIGURE 2b - (FPAVE4155PH) Dorsal roadkill (Paul Smith February 2015).
FIGURE 2c - (FPAVE4156PH) Upperwing roadkill (Paul Smith February 2015).
FIGURE 2d - (FPAVE4157PH) Ventral roadkill (Paul Smith February 2015).
FIGURE 2e - (FPAVE4158PH) Underwing roadkill (Paul Smith February 2015).
FIGURE 2f - (FPAVE4159PH) Tail roadkill (Paul Smith February 2015).
FIGURE 2a

FIGURE 2a
FIGURE 2b

FIGURE 2b
FIGURE 2c

FIGURE 2c
FIGURE 2d

FIGURE 2d
FIGURE 2e

FIGURE 2e
FIGURE 2f

FIGURE 2f