Currently very close contact with dead or sick birds is the principal source of infection and bird to human transmission does not easily occur.

This unmistakable bird usually occurs in pairs or family groups.

The bird occurs from Mexico south to north-west Costa Rica.

However the bird occurs only rarely in latitudes north of Te Aroha.

Non-breeding birds occur as flocks of various sizes that vary from 1-430 birds.

Vagrant birds have occurred in Hong Kong and the Philippines.

The bird occurs in a variety of habitats including open forest, scrubland, farmland and grassland.

These birds occur mainly in Eurasia, Africa, and the Australian region.

This bird occurs in a wide variety of habitats including pastures, riparian forests, and open residential areas with scattered trees.

Several rare vagrant birds have occurred here, including a long-staying Gyrfalcon in 1986.