New Zealand falcon

New Zealand falcon
Male falcon
CITES Appendix II (CITES)[2]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Falconiformes
Family: Falconidae
Subfamily: Falconinae
Genus: Falco
Species:
F. novaeseelandiae
Binomial name
Falco novaeseelandiae

The New Zealand falcon (Māori: kārearea or kāiaia; Falco novaeseelandiae) is New Zealand's only falcon. Other common names for the bird are bush hawk and sparrow hawk. It is frequently mistaken for the larger and more common swamp harrier. It is the country's most threatened bird of prey, with only around 3000–5000 breeding pairs remaining.[3][4]

New Zealand falcon (adult and young) from Buller's Birds of New Zealand, 1888
  1. ^ BirdLife International (2022). "Falco novaeseelandiae". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2022: e.T22696476A208302635. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T22696476A208302635.en. Retrieved 23 July 2022.
  2. ^ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  3. ^ Douglas, Rob; Barea, Laurence; Waite, Ed; Hankin, Chris (20 June 2017). "How Good Design Can Protect the kārearea (New Zealand Falcon) and Improve Network Safety" (PDF). Electricity Engineers Association.
  4. ^ "New Zealand falcon/kārearea". Department of Conservation. Retrieved 1 September 2022.