Laughing Falcon

The Laughing Falcon (Herpetotheres cachinnans), also called the snake hawk (erroneously, since it is not a hawk), is a medium-sized bird of prey in the falcon family (Falconidae), the only member of the genus Herpetotheres. It can be found throughout much of Brazil, northern Argentina, and Paraguay, as well as Central and South America south to the Peruvian and Bolivian Amazon regions, and at altitudes up to 1,500 m, though it is frequently absent from mountainous areas.

Adults have a light buff head that can vary in color from brownish to almost white depending on individual variance and feather wear. The wide black face mask forms a narrow collar around the neck and is edged with white. The dark feather shafts on the crown give the fabric a slightly streaked appearance. The rear and upper wings have a dark brown color. The rectrices are barred black and whitish, ending in white, and the upper tail coverts are once again whitish buff. The underside is consistently pale buff, with the possible exception of some black speckling on the thighs. The underside of the wing is a light rufous-buff color, with some underwing coverts occasionally showing dark marking.