Appearance

Laughing Falcon is a relatively large falcon with a long rounded and short round wings. This raptor also has a large headed look, accentuated by the "mask" across the face. The head, sides of the neck, and the entire underparts are buffy or whitish buff, with a broad black or blackish brown mask on the side of the face that extends from the lores down to just below the gape, and back to the nape. The upperparts otherwise are dark brown; the bases of the primaries are buff, forming a pale wing patch in flight. The tail is blackish, with a few narrow white bands and a whitish tip.

The black mask contrasting with white creamy plumage, the erect posture, and the vocalizations are distinctive characteristics of Laughing Falcon, and it would be difficult to confuse this species with any other. Vocalizations of Laughing Falcon are similar to calls of some forest-falcons (Micrastur), however; Laughing Falcon also is the same size and shape as the larger species of forest-falcon, and these two genera both are cavity nesters. In South America, compare Laughing Falcon to Yellow-headed Caracara (Milvago chimachima), which also is primarily buffy in color, but the caracara has very different habits, and only a very narrow dark line on the sides of the head (not a broad "mask" as in Laughing Falcon).

The following description is based on Wetmore (1965); see also Friedmann (1950) and Blake (1977). This description refers to nominate cachinnans; see also Geographic Variation:

Adult: Sexes similar. Sides of head, back, wings, and tail dusky black; the black of each side of the head forms a broad band that meets on the nape, Tail with 4-5 white bands, which on some individuals are reduced to a series of white spots. Rest of head and entire underparts creamy white to cinnamon buff. Crown narrowly streaked with dusky black ; feathers of rear crown also forming a small bushy crest. Under surface of wings light buff; underwing coverts spotted with dusky. Remiges basally cinnamon rufous, with dusky barring.

Immature: Feathers of upperparts, including wing coverts, narrowly edged with buffy brown. Some individuals also have the sides and undertail coverts streaked and lightly spotted with cinnamon buff and dusky.

No specific information on the molting of Laughing Falcon has been documented. Most species in Falconidae, however, follow a simple basic molt strategy.

Iris: dark brown, hazel

Cere and gape: yellow, orange yellow, pale yellow

Bill: black

Tarsus and toes: deep olive buff, yellowish, dull yellow; claws black

Bare parts color data from Dickey and van Rossem (1938), Wetmore (1965) and Haverschmidt (1968).

Total length: 45-56 cm, 46-56 cm (Howell and Webb 1995, Hilty 2003), 53 cm (Stiles and Skutch 1989)

Linear measurements (from Blake 1977):

Females larger than males (especially in mass); cachinnans averaging slightly larger than fulvescens

cachinnans

male (n = 29)

wing length (chord): mean 267.1 mm (range 254-294 mm)

tail length: mean 201.6 mm (range 176-215 mm)

bill length (culmen from cere): mean 24.5 mm (range 22.5-27 mm)

tarsus length: mean 60.3 mm (range 57.8-71 mm)

female (n = 27)

wing length (chord): mean 267.3 mm (range 247-290 mm)

tail length: 201.7 mm (range 184-220 mm)

bill length (culmen from cere): mean 23.8 mm (range 22-26 mm)

tarsus length: mean 60.2 mm (range 55.7-66 mm)

fulvescens

male (n = 9)

wing length (flat): mean 267 mm (range 253-280 mm)

tail length: mean 200.5 mm (range 182-215 mm)

bill length (culmen from cere): mean 24.5 mm (range 23-27 mm)

female (n = 5)

wing length (flat): mean 265.6 mm (range 254-284 mm)

tail length: mean 197.2 mm (range 181-220 mm)

bill length (culmen from cere): mean 24.2 mm (range 23-25 mm)

Mass:& male, mean 583 g (range 544-675 g, n = 8; Dunning 2008); female, mean 667 g (range 590-800 g, n = 4; Dunning 2008)