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Project Noah Nature School
Herpetotheres cachinnans
See & listen to them here: https://youtu.be/WZsvCZ5ehd4 Often called the “Laughing Hawk” it is not a true Hawk but a Falcon. They are about 20" (50 cm) long. The back and wings are a dark brown, the tail is white with 5 blackish-brown bars. The leg feathers, sides, breast, neck and top of the head are white. The most distinctive feature is the dark brown mask that covers the eyes and face and continues all the way around the back of the neck. They normally perch very high in trees where they can spot snakes, which comprise almost their entire diet.
This pair were perched in the top of a tall tree in the Amazon rainforest of SE Ecuador (700 masl).
I heard these two start calling early this morning and thought they sounded close enough I could maybe, finally, get a video of them calling. I sneaked as close as I thought I could and sat under the edge of a tree where I could see them. Using my knees and monopod as a makeshift tripod, I zoomed almost to the max of the digital zoom. I almost never go into digital. The result is a little shaky, but for a hand held camera, I was delighted. I’ve waited 35 years for one to come close enough I could record it, and this morning there were 2 😊 For some reason it wouldn't save with this second link: https://ebird.org/species/laufal1
Spotted on Apr 22, 2021
Submitted on Apr 22, 2021
4 Comments
Thanks Sukanya. They were far enough off I snapped a lot of still pictures (104) hoping to get a few good ones. There were less than 10 that weren't sharp. I couldn't believe how well they turned out as the birds were a little ways off and really high. We hear them almost every morning and evening. Beautiful sound.
The video is FANTASTIC...to hear a bird I have never seen (or even heard about before) actually call and fill my room with its " laughter"! Tukup, THANK YOU...and it was worth waiting 35 years. I have waited 60 :)
I've heard them for 35 years, but t o be truthful, for many of those first years I didn't even have a camera but since I got one I've always wanted to record them on video. We are with 3 weeks of leaving our beloved jungle and I thought I had lost the opportunity. I am very thankful these two decided to serenade each other close by. Thanks Dawn.
Wow, 35 years is a long time to wait! Congratulations! Thanks for sharing the cool info.