Laughing Falcon

Q: What are the chances of seeing a Laughing Falcon in Medellín?

Rare. Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Laughing Falcon sighting in Medellín on a given day, based on 17 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 179th most-seen of the 244 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, if each day is a fresh chance.

Q: When is the best time to see a Laughing Falcon in Medellín?

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

Q: What time of day is best to see a Laughing Falcon?

Between 7 and 10 am. Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Laughing Falcon sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Q: Is Medellín the best place to see a Laughing Falcon?

Among the best. Of the 15 cities where we can rate Laughing Falcon sightings, Medellín ranks 11th at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Belém (Brazil, under 5%), Goiânia (Brazil, under 5%) and Santos (Brazil, under 5%).

Q: Where does the Laughing Falcon sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records. It is estimated from how often the Laughing Falcon is recorded against all the birds logged in Medellín (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.

Herpetotheres cachinnans

Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderFalconiformes (Falcons and Caracaras)
FamilyFalconidae (Falcons and Caracaras)
GenusHerpetotheres
SpeciesHerpetotheres cachinnans (Laughing Falcon)

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

at Medellín

In 3 days <5%

17 Verified sightings at Medellín

10,823 In all 65 parks From 2019 to 2026

January Best month

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Laughing Falcon

The laughing falcon (Herpetotheres cachinnans) is a medium-sized bird of prey in subfamily Herpetotherinae of family Falconidae, the falcons and caracaras. It is found from Mexico south through Central America and in every mainland South American country except Chile and Uruguay.

The laughing falcon was formally described in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae. He placed it with the falcons and eagles in the genus Falco and coined the binomial name Falco cachinnans. Linnaeus based his account on information from one of his students, Daniel Rolander, who had visited the Dutch colony of Surinam in South America. The laughing falcon is now the only species placed in the genus Herpetotheres that was introduced in 1817 by the French ornithologist Louis Vieillot. A 2015 molecular phylogenetic study by Jérôme Fuchs and collaborators found that the laughing falcon was sister to the forest falcons in the genus Micrastur.

Major taxonomic systems place the laughing falcon in the subfamily Herpetotherinae with the forest falcons. Earlier it had been placed in the subfamily Falconinae with the "true" falcons. Though... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Dawn song0:30

Brazil · 2018

Song0:28

Brazil · 2026

Uncertain1:30

Colombia · 2024

Global Distribution

Where it is recorded most Our parks where it lives Our cities where it livesIn captivity: 4 zoos & centres

Parks Where Found

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

Cities Where Found

#	City	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Belém	🇧🇷 Brazil	<5%
2	Goiânia	🇧🇷 Brazil	<5%
3	Santos	🇧🇷 Brazil	<5%
4	San José	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
5	San Pedro Sula	🇭🇳 Honduras	<5%
6	Maceió	🇧🇷 Brazil	<5%
7	Panama City	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
8	San Salvador	🇸🇻 El Salvador	<5%
9	Guayaquil	🇪🇨 Ecuador	<5%
10	Rio de Janeiro	🇧🇷 Brazil	<5%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

#	Zoo / Centre	Country
1	Joya Grande	🇭🇳 Honduras	In captivity
2	UMA "El Palapo"	🇲🇽 Mexico	In captivity
3	Zoo Park da Montanha	🇧🇷 Brazil	In captivity
4	Parque Cóndor	🇪🇨 Ecuador	In captivity

Closest Relatives at Medellín

Falco sparverius

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Caracara plancus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Falco femoralis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Falco peregrinus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Falco columbarius

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Thraupis episcopus

Daily sighting probability ~90% · Very likely

Pitangus sulphuratus

Daily sighting probability ~90% · Very likely

Tyrannus melancholicus

Daily sighting probability ~80% · Very likely

Columbina talpacoti

Daily sighting probability ~80% · Very likely

Thraupis palmarum

Daily sighting probability ~80% · Very likely

Zenaida auriculata

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely

Coereba flaveola

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Laughing Falcon in Medellín?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Laughing Falcon sighting in Medellín on a given day, based on 17 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 179th most-seen of the 244 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 Laughing Falcon in Medellín?

Any time of year

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

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

Between 7 and 10 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Laughing Falcon sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Medellín the best place to see a Laughing Falcon?

Among the best

Of the 15 cities where we can rate Laughing Falcon sightings, Medellín ranks 11th at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Belém (Brazil, under 5%), Goiânia (Brazil, under 5%) and Santos (Brazil, under 5%).

Where does the Laughing Falcon sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Laughing Falcon is recorded against all the birds logged in Medellín (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.

← Back to Medellín

Laughing Falcon

About the Laughing Falcon

Sounds

Recent sightings of Laughing Falcon in Medellín

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

Cities Where Found

Zoos & Centres Where Found

Closest Relatives at Medellín

American Kestrel

Crested Caracara

Aplomado Falcon

Peregrine Falcon

Merlin

Blue-gray Tanager

Great Kiskadee

Tropical Kingbird

Ruddy Ground-Dove

Palm Tanager

Eared Dove

Bananaquit

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Laughing Falcon in Medellín?

When is the best time to see a Laughing Falcon in Medellín?

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

Is Medellín the best place to see a Laughing Falcon?

Where does the Laughing Falcon sighting chance come from?