Dominica Botanic Gardens Roseau, Commonwealth of Dominica, West Indies

Source: Dominica’s Birds Source: Thayer Birding Photo illustrates "string of pearls" effect in tail and wings of male.

Description: Small falcon, 22-31 cm long (8.5-12 in) with a 55-58 cm wingspan (21-23 in); head short, dark with hooked beak of raptor; crown gray with white cheeks; has two bold, black, sideburn markings below each eye; wings in flight pointed at tip; has long tail; legs golden with raptor claws; male – plumage more boldly colored, streaked on back in brown and orange-brown, wings blue-gray, chest and belly greyish to light brown and lightly spotted; has what appears to be white dots on edge of wings and tail, creating "string of pearls" effect; larger female – plumage duller than male with greyish-brown streaking on chest; wings rufous, barred with black, and appear sickle-shaped in flight; bird very swift when pursuing prey; feeds largely on small birds, lizards, mice and small snakes; seen in Gardens primarily during northern winter months when some individuals are migrants from North America. Click here to listen to its call (compliments of 3-Rivers Eco-Lodge) References: Arlington James, Stephen Durand and Bertrand Jno.Baptiste. Dominica’s Birds. Forestry, Wildlife and Parks Division, Ministry of Agriculture and the Environment, Dominica, 2005 C.S. Robbins, B. Bruun, H.S Zim. Birds of North America. Western Publishing Company Inc, New York 1966 Gough, G.A., Sauer, J.R., Iliff, M. Patuxent Bird Identification Infocenter. Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD 1998 (mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov) Peter Alden, et al. National Audubon Society Field Guide to Florida. Alfred Knopf, New York, 1998