Collared Forest-falcon Micrastur semitorquatus (Vieillot, 1817) nesting in a cave in southern Brazil

Abstract

We report the first description of a Collared Forest-falcon (Micrastur semitorquatus) nesting in a cave along with observations of a breeding pair in 2007 and 2008. The observations were made in the Parque Estadual de Campinhos, State of Paraná, southern Brazil. The falcon pair successfully bred two young, which dispersed around late December 2007 and early January 2008. In this particular case the reproductive period extended from September 2007 to January 2008. Great amounts of prey items at the nest site, mainly consisting of bones and feathers of medium- to large-sized birds have been found. The diet of this breeding pair comprised primarily birds, such as Penelope obscura and Odontophorus capueira. This record, along with other reports, points toward a specialization on cavity nesting by M. semitorquatus. Also in agreement with previous works it can suggest a relative flexibility on the kind of cavity used for breeding.