Red-footed Falcon

Falco vespertinus

VulnerableUncommonInvertebratesGrasslandMedium · 151 g

About the Red-footed Falcon

The red-footed falcon, formerly the western red-footed falcon, is a bird of prey. It belongs to the family Falconidae, the falcons. This bird is found in eastern Europe and Asia although its numbers are dwindling rapidly due to habitat loss and hunting. It is migratory, wintering in Africa. It is a regular wanderer to western Europe, and in August 2004 a red-footed falcon was found in North America for the first time on the island of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

ID tip

It is a medium-small, long-winged species. The adult male is all blue-grey, except for his red undertail and legs; its underwings are uniformly grey. The female has a grey back and wings, orange head and underparts, and a white face with black eye stripe and moustaches. Young birds are brown above and buff below with dark streaks, and a face pattern like the female. Red-footed falcons are 28–34 cm (11–13 in) in length with a wingspan of 65–75 cm (26–30 in). The average mass is 155 g (5.5 oz).

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

What the Red-footed Falcon sounds like

Recording: Jochem Verweij · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via xeno-canto

Where it lives

Regular rangeRare visitor

Recorded as a rare visitor in United States, Burkina Faso, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Congo - Brazzaville, Congo - Kinshasa, Tanzania, Isle of Man, Luxembourg.

When to see it

Peak activity in May · a summer visitor species across most of its range

Easily confused with

Learn the Red-footed Falcon for real

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