Red-footed Falcon
Falco vespertinus
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Falco vespertinus
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Mass
~150 g
Habitat
Grasslands and meadows
Diet
Insects and invertebrates
How to recognize it
The Red-footed Falcon has a brisk, wiry look, with long wings and a manner of flight that feels light and purposeful. Adults can look strikingly different from one another, while young birds are much more subdued.
It hunts on the wing, often pausing in a hover before dropping fast toward prey. It is active by day and into the evening, and in the nesting season it can seem especially lively, with colony life and constant alert calls around the nest.
It stays close to open country with some trees, especially steppe, forest-steppe, and broad edges where old corvid nests are available. It feeds mainly on large insects, while chicks also get small rodents, lizards, and sometimes small passerines; it winters in Africa, returning in spring and leaving breeding areas by late summer.
Quick Facts
The Red-footed Falcon has a brisk, wiry look, with long wings and a manner of flight that feels light and purposeful. Adults can look strikingly different from one another, while young birds are much more subdued.
It hunts on the wing, often pausing in a hover before dropping fast toward prey. It is active by day and into the evening, and in the nesting season it can seem especially lively, with colony life and constant alert calls around the nest.
It stays close to open country with some trees, especially steppe, forest-steppe, and broad edges where old corvid nests are available. It feeds mainly on large insects, while chicks also get small rodents, lizards, and sometimes small passerines; it winters in Africa, returning in spring and leaving breeding areas by late summer.
How to recognize it
You might also see
Sources
- eBird — Falco vespertinus Sightings map and full description on eBird
- Wikipedia — Red-footed falcon Encyclopedia article