The Red-necked Falcon or Red-headed Merlin (Falco chicquera) is a bird of prey in the falcon family.
This bird is a widespread resident in India and
adjacent regions as well as sub-Saharan Africa. It is sometimes called Turumti locally.
The Red-necked Falcon is a medium-sized, long-winged species with a bright rufous crown and nape. It is on average 30–36 cm in length with a wingspan of 85 cm.
The sexes are similar except in size: males are smaller as females as
is usual in falcons. Young birds are buff below
with less extensive barring and duller upper plumage.
The adult of the African subspecies Falco chicquera ruficollis has a white face apart from black moustachial stripes.
The upperparts are pale grey, with black primary wing feathers and tail tip.
The underparts are white with dark barring on the underwings, lower breast, belly and undertail. There is a buff foreneck band. The legs and eyering are yellow.
The voice of this species is a shrill kek-kek-kek.
West African males are known to weigh between 139 and 178 grams, while females are found between 190 and 305 grams.
The particularly large African birds from south of the Zambezi River are often separated as subspecies Falco chicquera horsbrughi
but the size variation may be clinal and the latter subspecies not valid.
The Asian nominate subspecies Falco chicquera chicquera has rufous moustachial stripes, lacks the buff breast band, and is less extensively barred than the African subspecies.
source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
