Bat Falcon
Bat FalconBat FalconBat FalconBat Falcon

Bat Falcon

Falco rufigularis

Silhouette: Shyamal · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Managua

In 3 days <5%

17 Verified sightings at Managua
9,424 In all 64 parks From 2019 to 2026
September Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Bat Falcon

The bat falcon (Falco rufigularis) is a bird of prey in the family Falconidae, the falcons and caracaras. It is found in Mexico, Central America, Trinidad, and every mainland South American country except Chile and Uruguay.

The bat falcon was long known as Falco albigularis; the names Falco fusco-coerulescens or Falco fuscocaerulescens, long used for the aplomado falcon (F. femoralis), are now believed to refer to the present species. The bat falcon has these three subspecies:

Others add a fourth subspecies F. r. petrophilus that is usually included in petoensis. The bat falcon is closely related to and looks like a small version of the orange-breasted falcon (F. deiroleucus), with which it has often been misidentified. They share plumage and vocal characteristics and are sister species. These two had been thought to be closely related to the aplomado... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Call1:00

Argentina · 2026

© Marcos E. Sosa · XC1091783 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Song0:04

Brazil · 2025

© JAYRSON ARAUJO DE OLIVEIRA · XC974425 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Call1:09

Brazil · 2016

© Jerome Fischer · XC332664 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~40%
2 Calakmul Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~30%
3 Chapada dos Guimarães National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~20%
4 Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas 🇧🇷 Brazil
~20%
5 Pico Bonito National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
~20%
6 Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve 🇪🇨 Ecuador
~10%
7 Tambopata National Reserve 🇵🇪 Peru
~10%
8 Tikal National Park 🇬🇹 Guatemala
~10%
9 Manu National Park 🇵🇪 Peru
~10%
10 Anavilhanas National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
11 Yasuní National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
~10%
12 Soberanía National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
13 Darién National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
14 Chagres National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
15 Cusuco National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
~10%
16 Carara National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
17 Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
18 Sierra de la Macarena National Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
~10%
19 Biotopo Cerro Cahuí 🇬🇹 Guatemala
~10%
20 Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
~10%
21 Tortuguero National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
22 Marino Ballena National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
23 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
24 Iguazú National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
~10%
25 Poás Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
26 Bastimentos Island National Marine Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
27 Amboró National Park 🇧🇴 Bolivia
~10%
28 Manuel Antonio National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
29 Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
30 Cañón del Sumidero National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%
31 Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
32 Braulio Carrillo National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
33 Iguaçu National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
34 Itatiaia National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
35 Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary 🇧🇿 Belize
<5%
36 Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
37 Parque Natural Metropolitano 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
38 Henri Pittier National Park 🇻🇪 Venezuela
<5%
39 Amacayacu National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
40 Serra dos Órgãos National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
41 Brownsberg Nature Park 🇸🇷 Suriname
<5%
42 Tijuca National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
43 Lago de Yojoa 🇭🇳 Honduras
<5%
44 Ostional Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
45 Arenal Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
46 Rincón de la Vieja National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
47 Volcán Barú National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
48 Chapada Diamantina National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
49 Cahuita National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
50 Farallones de Cali National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
51 San Lorenzo Protected Forest 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
52 Corcovado National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
53 Santa Rosa National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
54 Tenorio Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
55 Chirripó National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
56 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
57 Piedras Blancas National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
58 Tayrona National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
59 Machalilla National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
<5%
60 Los Quetzales National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
61 Podocarpus National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
<5%
62 Palo Verde National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
63 Las Baulas Marine National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
64 Masaya Volcano National Park 🇳🇮 Nicaragua
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Vitória 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
2 San Pedro Sula 🇭🇳 Honduras
<5%
3 Manaus 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
4 Campo Grande 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
5 Caracas 🇻🇪 Venezuela
<5%
6 Rio de Janeiro 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
7 Panama City 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
8 Managua 🇳🇮 Nicaragua
<5%
9 Cali 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
10 San José 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%

Closest Relatives at Managua

Peregrine Falcon
LC

Peregrine Falcon

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Falco peregrinus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Collared Forest Falcon
LC

Collared Forest Falcon

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Micrastur semitorquatus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Crested Caracara
LC

Crested Caracara

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Caracara plancus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
White-winged Dove
LC

White-winged Dove

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Zenaida asiatica

Daily sighting probability ~90% · Very likely
Clay-colored Thrush
LC

Clay-colored Thrush

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Turdus grayi

Daily sighting probability ~80% · Very likely
Great-tailed Grackle
LC

Great-tailed Grackle

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Quiscalus mexicanus

Daily sighting probability ~80% · Very likely
Tropical Kingbird
LC

Tropical Kingbird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Tyrannus melancholicus

Daily sighting probability ~80% · Very likely
Great Kiskadee
LC

Great Kiskadee

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pitangus sulphuratus

Daily sighting probability ~80% · Very likely
Blue-gray Tanager

Blue-gray Tanager

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Thraupis episcopus

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely
Cinnamon-bellied Saltator
LC

Cinnamon-bellied Saltator

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Saltator grandis

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely
Rufous-backed Wren
LC

Rufous-backed Wren

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Campylorhynchus capistratus

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely
Hoffmann's Woodpecker
LC

Hoffmann's Woodpecker

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Melanerpes hoffmannii

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Bat Falcon in Managua?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Bat Falcon sighting in Managua on a given day, based on 17 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 108th most-seen of the 132 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Bat Falcon in Managua?

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Bat Falcon in Managua on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

What time of day is best to see a Bat Falcon?

Between 8 and 11 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Bat Falcon sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Managua the best place to see a Bat Falcon?

8th of 10

Of the 10 cities where we can rate Bat Falcon sightings, Managua ranks 8th at under 5%. The best odds are in Vitória (Brazil, about 10%), San Pedro Sula (Honduras, under 5%) and Manaus (Brazil, under 5%).

Where does the Bat Falcon sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Bat Falcon is recorded against all the birds logged in Managua (17 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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