Pygmy Falcon - BirdForum Opus

Polihierax semitorquatus

Photo by Binty
Northern Cape, South Africa November, 2017

Female or immature. Photo by Mybs
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa December 2004

Identification

At only 19-20 cm long this is a tiny raptor. Most often, the side of head is white all around the eye, more rarely with a dark stripe through the eye or with the grey cap reaching lower down. Rump is white, and in flight, the entire underside looks white.

Male has grey upperside while female has chestnut back, and immature is mostly like female.

Distribution

Eastern and southern Africa

Taxonomy

Female. Photo by Lekrom
Augrabies Falls National Park, South Africa, May 2009

This is a monotypic species¹. (Two subspecies are sometimes recognised: P. s. semitorquatus in southern Africa and P. s. castanotus in eastern Africa.)

Habitat

Semi-desert, acacia savanna and open woodland.

Behaviour

Prey consists primarily of large insects and small reptiles.

References

1. Clements, JF. 2010. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2010. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/Clements%206.5.xls/view
2. Sinclair et al. 2002. Birds of Southern Africa. Princeton Field Guides, Princeton, New Jersey, USA. ISBN 0-691-09682-1

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