Laughing Falcon

Laughing Falcon, here you can see clearly the 'black mask'

Over the past 5 years I've seen over more then 300 bird species in Kabalebo. Some of them are so extraordinary that it is impossible to forget about them. One of them is called the Laughing Falcon (Herpetotheres cachinnans)

The first time that I saw the Laughing Falcon, its appearance and the way it represented itself, captured me immediately. Clean cream colored 'uniform' finished off with a black mask.
It usually sits motionless on a high exposed branch for a long period of time.

The Laughing Falcon thanks its name due to the way it calls: a humanlike 'maniacal' laughter (often heard during the mornings)

The Laughing Falcon is a solitary bird of prey, hunting for lizards and bats, but mainly for snakes. Therefore it is also known as the specialist snake-eater. On some occasions I saw why it is called the snake-eater specialist.


In some countries the Laughing Falcon is also known as the Laughing Hawk or the Snake Hawk. For me, the Laughing Falcon is known as the bird that always has a 'good laughter' in the mornings. Innocent looking bird, but you'll always wonder what it has to hide behind the black mask.


I hope you enjoyed this post and thanks for reading.