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Pygmy Falcon

polihierax semitorquatus

The Pygmy Falcon is a tiny bird of prey that loves to hunt for insects and small animals. With its beautiful feathers and quick movements, it's like a little superhero of the skies!

Lebensraum: They live in open grasslands and savanna regions, especially near trees where they can perch and look for food.

Aussehen

The Pygmy Falcon is Africa's smallest raptor, with a compact body and short, rounded wings. Males have an ash-grey back, while females are strikingly distinguished by their rufous-chestnut back. Both sexes display prominent white underparts and a distinctive white supercilium above the eye.

ReichAnimaliaStammChordataKlasseAvesOrdnungFalconiformesFamilieFalconidaeGattungPolihierax

Pygmy Falcon

Kategorie

Vögel

Seltenheit

Common

Gefahr

1/5 · Sehr gering

Snaps

Mach den ersten Snap!

Interessante Fakten

Sometimes, these brave little falcons will chase off much larger birds to protect their territory!

They can spot a grasshopper wiggling in the grass from a super high perch, thanks to amazing eagle eyes!

Unlike many falcons, they sometimes hunt on the ground, darting among bushes for prey!

Wow! Pygmy Falcons are so tiny, they often share their nests with actual weaver birds!

Besondere Fähigkeiten

Pygmy Falcons can take over abandoned weaver bird nests, providing them with secure homes without needing to build their own.

Pygmy Falcons possess excellent eyesight, allowing them to spot tiny insects and lizards from a distance.

Pygmy Falcons have incredible maneuverability in flight, enabling them to quickly catch fast-moving prey in the air.

Maße und Details

Länge: 19-20 cm
Flügelspannweite: 32-38 cm
Gewicht: 0.054-0.076 kg
Lebenserwartung: 5-8 Jahre
Top Speed: 60 km/h
Gelegegröße: 2-4
Brutzeit: 28-32 Tage

Ernährung und Fütterung

Pygmy Falcons mainly eat small insects and reptiles, snatching them from the ground or in flight.

Hauptnahrung

Insects (grasshoppers, beetles)
Lizards (skinks, geckos)
Small birds
Rodents

Nahrungssuche

Pursuit

Ökologische Zusammenhänge

shelters

White-browed Sparrow-weaver

Plocepasser mahali

Pygmy Falcons often use abandoned nests of this weaver for their homes.

hunts

Striped Skink

Trachylepis striata

Pygmy Falcons frequently hunt this common skink in their arid habitats.

depends on

Umbrella Thorn Acacia

Acacia tortilis

Pygmy Falcons often perch in these trees to survey their hunting grounds.

hunts

Migratory Locust

Locusta migratoria

Pygmy Falcons effectively hunt these insects, especially when they swarm.

Merkmale

Sozial

Soziale Tiere leben in organisierten Gruppen und kooperieren, um ihr Überleben zu sichern, beispielsweise bei der Nahrungssuche, Verteidigung und Aufzucht der Jungen.