BLACK FALCON. 
attracted by them. The absence of Quail and other small birds is 
doubtless a cause of these species preying on insects.” 
A. G. Campbell, writing of the birds of North-eastern Victoria, in the 
Emu, Vol. II., p. 11, 1902, stated: “One day a Black Falcon (F. suhniger) 
was observed to make a tremendous swoop for some distance in the air, and 
neatly pick up a sparrow about to enter a hedge.” 
Berney states {Emu, Vol. V., p. 18, 1905) that it is : “ To be seen 
fairly frequentty on the open downs hawking Quail, etc., on which occasions 
it will follow a horseman or a mob of driven sheep long distances for the 
small birds that may be flushed ; some very good falconry may then be 
witnessed. Seldom more than two or three are seen at once, but in one 
instance I saw eight after an unfortunate Pipit. The Falcons are terribly 
swift on the wing. One of the wonders of bird-flight seems to me to be the 
extraordinary pace a small Falcon can obtain in a short distance when making 
its swoop at its quarry.” 
Hill {Emu, Vol. VI., p. 177, 1907) wrote: “A very rare visitor, seen 
only during the rabbit-poisoning period (N.W. Victoria).” 
Under the erroneous name of Falco niger, Batey has written {Emu, 
Vol. VII., p. 3, 1907) from Victoria : “ This Hawk seems to be widely 
distributed, because I have seen it on the Old Man Plain in Riverina, where 
on one occasion I saw it take a Quail that was flushed as I rode along. In 
this case the Falcon appeared to strike the quarry with his breast-bone, 
stunning it, then wheeling about, picked it up. The Black Falcon, unlike his 
grey brother, affects the plains, and if you are riding, walking, or driving 
stock, should a Quail rise, to your surprise a Falcon often comes from behind 
you like a flash. The Black Falcon was a rare bird of old in my part. 
Twenty years must have elapsed since one was noted ; still I suppose it will 
be met with about Rockbank.” 
Macgillivray, in the Emu, Vol. XIII., p. 152, 1914, gave M‘Lenn^an’s 
notes : “ Noted frequently in the Gulf Country (Queensland). 14th March, 
1910 : ‘ Saw a pair of Black Falcons examining old nests in the coolibah 
trees on a channel of the Gilliat, probably intending to use one of them. 
The birds were in splendid plumage, but too wary to admit of a close 
inspection.’ Several other pairs were seen on the Leichhardt and Gregory 
Rivers, but the spring is probably their nesting-time.” 
In the Emu, Vol. V., p. 204, 1906, C. F. B(elcher) wrote from Kyabram, 
Victoria : “ On the 20th February I shot a Black Falcon {F. suhniger) as 
it was endeavouring to seize and carry away a wounded Marsh Tringa 
{Heteropygia acuminata) from the ground on a three-chain road that runs 
through Wyuna estate about 10 miles from here. Is this Falcon common in 
VOL. V. 
257 
