Birds · Falconiformes · Falconidae

Red-footed Falcon

Falco vespertinus

Near Threatened

It could become endangered in the near future if current threats go unchecked. See full glossary

The red-footed falcon is a small, sociable raptor: it breeds in colonies, almost always occupying nests abandoned by jackdaws or crows, and hunts large insects in flight or from perches. The male is a uniform slate grey with intensely red thighs and legs, and the female is buff with an orange head. It makes one of the longest migrations of any European raptor, as far as southern Africa.

Weight

150 g – 167 g

Size

28 cm – 34 cm

Lifespan

13 years

Diet

Insectivore

Feeds mainly on insects and other invertebrates.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

Colony

Lives in large concentrations, often for breeding reasons.

Sighting difficulty

Moderate

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Fun facts

It breeds in colonies in nests it does not build: it takes over the abandoned colonies of jackdaws and crows, and without them it simply cannot breed across much of its range.
Its migration to southern Africa includes a crossing of the Indian Ocean from India to East Africa, a sea passage of thousands of kilometres that is unusual among raptors.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat & environment: Wooded steppe, riverside woods and forest edges of eastern Europe and Central Asia; winters in southern Africa
Sexual maturity: 11.9 months
Gestation / incubation: 23 days of incubation
Litter / clutch size: 4 eggs

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falco_vespertinus