The Brown Falcon can sit on a high perch for some time until it sights its prey, then it drops directly onto its victim and grabs it with its talons.
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Their diet consists of mice and young rabbits, some small birds, lizards and snakes; and grasshoppers, crickets and beetles. (They sometimes chase prey along the ground and catch them with their bill as well as their talons.)
These raptors are widespread and common and are mostly seen in open grassy woodland and open forested country. (Around inhabited areas, they can become quite tame.)
Both the male and female incubate and brood, but the female spends most of the time on the nest, while the male hunts. He delivers the food and she eats it, and then serves it out to the babies. The young become independent within days of fledging and leave their parents soon after.
Raptors are definitely high on my list of favourite birds, and this lovely specimen sat and posed for me, for just long enough!
(Bird facts courtesy of Readers Digest, “Complete Book of Australian Birds.”)