The sharp-eyed and equally sharp-beaked Brown Falcon (Falco berigora) is featured this month in the Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority’s 2026 Year of the Raptor community awareness campaign.
Goulburn Broken CMA project officer, Janice Mentiplay-Smith, said the Brown Falcon was a resourceful bird of prey and all-round gastronomic opportunist compared to many of Australia’s falcons which tend to be less adventurous with their dining choices.
Brown Falcon. Photographer: Neville Hunter
“The Brown Falcon will partake from a broad menu which means it can venture widely throughout Australia and New Guinea to hunt across a range of habitats,” Ms Mentiplay-Smith said.
“It lacks the powerful talons possessed by many raptors but is compensated with a sharp tomial tooth; a protrusion on its upper bill that corresponds with notches on the lower beak.
This ingenious adaptation functions like a pair of scissors and allows the Brown Falcon to swiftly sever the spinal cord of its prey.
Ms Mentiplay-Smith said the highly resourceful Brown Falcon will often repurpose an old nest made by another bird, although it may also build its own stick nest in a tree.
“Occasionally, it will nest in open tree hollows. Both parents share the incubation of the eggs and care for the chicks.”
Brown Falcons are usually seen alone, soaring in their search for prey. They are commonly sighted atop a tall perch - often a dead standing tree or powerline in a cropping region. It hunts small mammals, insects, reptiles and small birds and will feed on carrion - the decaying flesh of dead animals.
The Brown Falcon’s shorter talons and long legs mean it can chase down prey along the ground, should it miss its target on the first strike.
“As a larger bird, hovering is not usually its first preference, but it will occasionally do so before making a powerful dive to catch its prey. In flight, it has a slow ‘overarm’ wing rhythm with slightly upswept wings, punctuated by periods of drifting.”
It’s useful to be familiar with the Brown Falcon’s flying style as in the air as it can be difficult to tell them apart from other raptors of similar size or colour.
Brown falcon. Photographer: Ruth Ault
Brown falcon juvenille. Photographer: Kerryn Buckley
Bird watching is an enjoyable way to see the Goulburn Broken catchment's beautiful birdlife, including its amazing raptors. Local birding group Murray Goulburn BirdLife meets monthly to conduct outings and enjoy the local environment. For information about the next outing, contact: robertsdon680@gmail.com
Learning more about a species and its requirements is a positive first step in helping it and the environment it relies on. BirdLife Australia’s Raptor Group promotes the conservation, management and study of Australia's birds of prey and fosters communication and cooperation among raptor enthusiasts across Australasia. For more information visit https://ausraptorgroup.org
The Year of the Raptor is supported by the Victorian Government through the Our Catchments Our Communities stewardship program.