Gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus)
Black-winged Pratincole (Glareola nordmanni)
Largest falcon. Heavily built. Grey upperparts and white, speckled underparts. Juveniles with browner plumage than adults, blue-grey legs and longitudinal streaking below. Diffuse moustache-stripe, and the whole head seems dark at distance, lacking a defined cap. Rounder and broader wings, longer tail and bulky belly distinguishes it from Peregrine. Underside of wings with dark coverts in contrast to pale base of flight-feathers. Extremely powerful, but slower flight action than Peregrine.
Sound:A coarse, drawn out, Peregrine-like "kaaawt", with emphasis on ending, is repeated in series. Much slower paced than in small falcons, and deeper and with different attack than in Peregrine. Also shorter, coarse warning-calls.
Alarm call:
Distribution:
Xeno-canto: map
Ecology:Birdlife ecology
Links:
Observation.org Latest observations
Image search Flickr NB! May give other species
CCSounds:Recorded by Andrew Spencer,http://www.xeno-canto.org ,CC license
Only likely to be confused with other pratincoles, but diagnostic field marks often difficult to see. Differs from Collared Pratincole by black underwing and lack of white trailing edge to upperwing (both characters requires good light). Tail streamers shorter than wing-tips and base of bill with less red (in breeding plumage). Build slightly stockier than Collared Pratincole, with longer legs. Lore and forehead often darker. Sexes alike. Lacks black necklace in winter plumage. Immature birds are similar to winter-plumaged adults, but with additional scaly upperparts. A third species, Oriental Pratincole, is a rare vagrant with rufous underwing, no wing-bar, and even shorter tail.
Sound:Also see Collared Pratincole. Differs from latter by the hard parts being dryer, more clicking and staccato, while the more melodic components are more mewing. Like with Collared Pratincole beware confusion risk with Little Tern, which is similar in timbre.
Various calls:
Distribution:
Xeno-canto: map
Ecology:Birdlife ecology
Links:
Observation.org Latest observations
Image search Flickr NB! May give other species
CCCC-sound:Vladimir Arkhipov, Licence,Link.
CC-photo:Ignaas Robbe, Licence,Link.
CC-photo:maholyoak, Licence,Link.