A hot environment and one type of prey: Investigating why the Grey Falcon (Falco hypoleucos) is Australia's rarest falcon

摘要: The Grey Falcon (Falco hypoleucos) is a poorly known endemic of inland Australia. It considered Australia’s rarest falcon and among the Falco species world. Current information on largely restricted to opportunistic observations specimens in wildlife collections. Here I detail breeding dietary ecology from continent-wide field study 2003 2011. Breeding was recorded 37 times. distribution more appropriately described by climatic categories than average annual rainfall. All nest-sites occurred areas hottest climate classes. but two food items identified were birds; exceptions rodents captured during rodent outbreak September This provides first coherent set firsthand data concerning key aspects Falcon, constituting valuable resource for future studies species. results presented suggest that restriction highest temperatures its almost exclusively avian diet are likely factors associated with species’ rarity.