| Taita falcon | |
|---|---|
 | |
| photographed at Chimanimani National Park, Zimbabwe | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Falconiformes |
| Family: | Falconidae |
| Genus: | Falco |
| Species: | F. fasciinucha |
| Binomial name | |
| Falco fasciinucha | |
The Taita falcon (Falco fasciinucha) is a small falcon found in central and eastern Africa. It was first described from the Taita Hills of Kenya from which it derives its name.
The Taita falcon is a small, rare raptor species. The biology and ecology of this falcon is not well-understood. It is robust, long winged with a short tail, and is adept at aerial hunting. This falcon bears some resemblance to the African hobby, with which it is often confused; however, the white throat and rufous patches on the nape offer a unique characteristic for identification. The wingspan of the males is 202 to 208 mm (8.0 to 8.2 in), and that of females is 229 to 240 mm (9.0 to 9.4 in). Males weigh 212 to 233 g (7.5 to 8.2 oz) and the females 297 to 346 g (10.5 to 12.2 oz). The plumage of the males is more brightly coloured than the females. [2]
The Taita falcon is globally listed as Vulnerable (VU). [1] This species is predicted to be represented by less than 1500 individuals of 500 breeding pairs in its distribution range and only 50 nest sites are known. However, because of their cryptic nature and occupancy of rather remote or inaccessible areas, it is difficult to achieve an accurate assessment of this falcon’s true conservation status. There may also be drastic fluctuations in populations, where breeding pairs decrease unevenly through the landscape. [3]
The Taita falcon has a wide – yet fragmented distribution – from northern South Africa by the Mpumalanga/Limpopo Escarpment, up to Southern Ethiopia, which caps the northern extremity of this falcon’s distribution in Africa. [3] Recently, a pair was observed near the JG Strijdom Tunnel in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. [4] These typically cliff-dwelling falcons are closely associated with highlands and mountainous terrain, in areas of low rainfall. Small, isolated localities support a few breeding pairs where the habitat is suitable. [3] These falcons seem to prefer closed, unfragmented woodlands. [5]
Breeding success is temporally and spatially variable (Jenkins et al, 2019). The Taita falcon typically nests in cliff holes, protected from direct sunlight (Hartley et al, 1993). Some falcons in Malawi and Zambia have also been found nesting on small granite inselbergs. In the Zimbabwean falcon populations, breeding is predicted to start after July and end around October. [3] Incubation of the eggs is predicted to occur from late August to early September. However, there seems to be variation in breeding season among populations in different locations, where East African pairs are seen to start breeding around April to September. The nest is situated on bare rock and the clutch size is two to four eggs. The incubation period is 31–33 days, and the chicks fledge after approximately 42 days. Taita Falcons are very secretive about the positions of the nests and will readily – and viciously – attack other animals that pose as a threat, such as trumpeter hornbills. [2] The breeding success of the Taita falcon is not well-understood.
The Taita falcon is a small, fast-flying raptor that catches its prey in the air. [3] This falcon is active mostly from dawn till mid-morning and then again in the mid to late afternoon. [2] It has very small wings relative to its robust build; therefore, this falcon can reach high speeds for hunting. [3] However, owing to its build, flapping flight is costly.[ citation needed ]
Cliffs are predicted to be a suitable habitat for this species. They provide protection of their eggs because of their inaccessibility, Taita falcons can utilize the orographic lift that is associated with cliffs to reduce flight costs, and they provide naturally good vantage points for hunting prey.[ citation needed ]
Taita falcons are typically hunting small birds mostly caught in habitats close to the nest, such as red-billed queleas, swifts, hirundines and green-spotted doves. These falcons have been observed to use several different hunting methods, such as speculative hunting – quartering from a cliff top – and stooping from high position to directly pursue prey. They have even been observed as cooperative hunters in Zimbabwe. [2]
The Batoka Gorge along the Zambezi River by Victoria Falls was historically the core for Taita falcon distribution, where six breeding pairs were identified during surveys in the 1990’s. [2] [3] However, this habitat patch no longer supports these breeding pairs. These population reductions are particularly problematic because of the lack of biological and ecological information on these raptors. Therefore, one can only speculate the factors playing a role in these declines of the Taita falcon in Africa.[ citation needed ]
Tourism and increased air traffic is predicted to be a significant disturbance to raptors along the Batoka Gorge. [3] Further, the decrease in the quality of the Zambezi River is associated with fluctuating insect abundance, which then impacts the insectivorous birds – such as the black swift – as well as the predators that feed on these birds, such as the Taita falcon. Organochlorine pesticide sprays also cause imbalances in invertebrate communities and the insectivorous species that eat them; thus, also the availability of prey for raptors that feed on these insect-eating birds.[ citation needed ]
Woodland cover decreases with increased rural human settlements and light intensity agriculture and subsistence farming on both sides of Batoka Gorge. [3] These more open, disturbed habitats are better suited to other raptor species – particularly Lanner falcons – rather than the highly specialized Taita falcons. This increase in woodland fragmentation decreases the amount of suitable habitat available to these falcons, thus threatening their conservation status. Because the conservation of these birds depends on the availability of nesting sites and food, appropriate environmental conditions are essential. [3] The threat of the construction of hydroelectric power about 50 km below Victoria Falls may also pose as a serious and significant threat to the conservation of avifaunal communities in this area. [5]
The scarcity of the Taita falcon in East Africa may be owing to the competition for food and nest sites with the larger and more dominant peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) and predation of young by the peregrine falcon, lanner falcon (Falco biarmicus), and owls. [6]
The eastern imperial eagle is a large bird of prey that breeds in southeastern Europe and extensively through West and Central Asia. Most populations are migratory and winter in northeastern Africa, the Middle East and South and East Asia. Like all eagles, the eastern imperial eagle is a member of the family Accipitridae. Furthermore, its feathered legs mark it as a member of the subfamily Aquilinae. It is a large, dark-colored eagle, with a resemblance to other members of the genus Aquila but it is usually the darkest species in its range. This is an opportunistic predator that mostly selects smallish mammals as prey but also a fairly large proportion of birds, reptile and other prey types, including carrion. Compared to other Aquila eagles, it has a strong preference for the interface of tall woods with plains and other open, relatively flat habitats, including the wooded mosaics of the steppe. Normally, nests are located in large, mature trees and the parents raise around one or two fledglings. The global population is small and declining due to persecution, loss of habitat and prey. It has therefore been IUCN Red Listed as Vulnerable since 1994.
The peregrine falcon, also known simply as the peregrine, and historically as the duck hawk in North America, is a cosmopolitan bird of prey (raptor) in the family Falconidae. A large, crow-sized falcon, it has a blue-grey back, barred white underparts, and a black head. The peregrine is renowned for its speed. It can reach over 320 km/h (200 mph) during its characteristic hunting stoop, making it the fastest member of the animal kingdom. According to a National Geographic TV program, the highest measured speed of a peregrine falcon is 389 km/h (242 mph). As is typical for bird-eating (avivore) raptors, peregrine falcons are sexually dimorphic, with females being considerably larger than males.
The merlin is a small species of falcon from the Northern Hemisphere, with numerous subspecies throughout North America and Eurasia. A bird of prey once known colloquially as a pigeon hawk in North America, the merlin breeds in the northern Holarctic; some migrate to subtropical and northern tropical regions in winter. Males typically have wingspans of 53–58 centimetres (21–23 in), with females being slightly larger. They are swift fliers and skilled hunters which specialize in preying on small birds in the size range of sparrows to quail. The merlin has for centuries been well regarded as a falconry bird. In recent decades merlin populations in North America have been significantly increasing, with some merlins becoming so well adapted to city life that they forgo migration.
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.
The American kestrel, also called the sparrow hawk, is the smallest and most common falcon in North America. It has a roughly two-to-one range in size over subspecies and sex, varying in size from about the weight of a blue jay to a mourning dove. It also ranges to South America and is a well-established species that has evolved into 17 subspecies adapted to different environments and habitats throughout the Americas. It exhibits sexual dimorphism in size and plumage, although both sexes have a rufous back with noticeable barring. Its plumage is colorful and attractive, and juveniles are similar in plumage to adults.
The African hawk-eagle is a large bird of prey. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. This species’ feathered legs mark it as a member of the Aquilinae subfamily. The African hawk-eagle breeds in tropical Sub-Saharan Africa. It is a bird of assorted woodland, including both savanna and hilly areas but the tend to occur in woodland that is typically dry. The species tends to be rare in areas where their preferred habitat type is absent. This species builds a stick nest of around 1 m (3.3 ft) across in a large tree. The clutch is generally one or two eggs. The African hawk-eagle is powerfully built and hunts small to medium sized mammals and birds predominantly, occasionally taking reptiles and other prey as well. The call is a shrill kluu-kluu-kluu. The African hawk-eagle is considered a fairly stable species and a species of Least Concern per the IUCN.
The red-necked falcon is a bird of prey in the falcon family with two disjunct populations, one in India and the other in Africa. This medium-sized falcon has bluish grey wings and upper body, a chestnut red cap with short chin straps passing through the eye. The primary feathers of the wing are black and a single black band at the tip of the tail are distinctive. The Indian subspecies Falco chicquera chicquera also known as the red-headed merlin or red-headed falcon is found mainly in the open plains of the India Subcontinent although it is thought to have occurred further west in southeastern Iran. The subspecies Falco chicquera ruficollis found in sub-Saharan Africa is sometimes treated as a full species, the rufous-necked falcon, on the basis of its well-separated geographic range and distinctive pattern. It appears very similar to the Indian form but has dark barring on the upperparts, a rufous breast band, and black moustachial and eye stripes. As in most falcons, the females are larger and falconers in India called the female turumti and the male as chatwa. They hunt in pairs mostly at dawn and dusk, capturing small birds, bats and squirrels.
The lanner falcon is a medium-sized bird of prey that breeds in Africa, southeast Europe and just into Asia. It prefers open habitat and is mainly resident, but some birds disperse more widely after the breeding season. A large falcon, it preys on birds and bats. Most likely either the lanner or peregrine falcon was the sacred species of falcon to the ancient Egyptians, and some ancient Egyptian deities, like Ra and Horus, were often represented as a man with the head of a lanner falcon.
The Barbary falcon is a medium-sized falcon about the size of a crow. This bird of prey is mainly resident. It ranges from the Canary Islands eastwards across some parts of North Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia.
The saker falcon is a large falcon species. It breeds from Central Europe eastwards across the Palearctic to Manchuria. It is a partial migrant, which means that some part of the population is migratory, some part is not. In Europe, for example, a part of the juveniles are migrating, while adults are mostly resident. The European and West Asian migratory sakers spend the winter in the Sahel region. On migration, they cross the Middle East, the Arabian peninsula, and Pakistan, where they are exposed to illegal trapping. The migratory birds to the east from Altai Mountains spend the winter in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
The sooty falcon is a medium-sized falcon breeding from northeastern Africa to the southern Persian Gulf region. The word sooty means to be covered in soot (ash), and is used to describe the color of the Sooty Falcon. Hence, the falcon gets its name from its color, the color of soot.
The prairie falcon is a medium-large sized falcon of western North America. It is about the size of a peregrine falcon or a crow, with an average length of 40 cm (16 in), wingspan of approximately 1 meter (40 in), and average weight of 720 g (1.6 lb). As in all falcons, females are noticeably bigger than males. Though a separate species from the peregrine, the prairie falcon is basically an arid environment divergence of the early peregrine falcon lineage, able to subsist on less food than the peregrine, and generally lighter in weight than a peregrine of similar wing span. Having evolved in a harsh desert environment with low prey density, the prairie falcon has developed into an aggressive and opportunistic hunter of a wide range of both mammal and bird prey. It will regularly take prey from the size of sparrows to approximately its own weight, and occasionally much larger. It is the only larger falcon native only to North America. It is resident from southern Canada, through western United States, and into northern Mexico. The prairie falcon is popular as a falconry bird, where with proper training it is regarded as being as effective as the more well known peregrine falcon.
Verreaux's eagle is a large, mostly African, bird of prey. It is also called the black eagle, especially in southern Africa, not to be confused with the black eagle of south and southeast Asia. The Verreaux's eagle lives in hilly and mountainous regions of southern and eastern Africa, and very locally in the Middle East.
The bateleur is a medium-sized eagle in the family Accipitridae. It is often considered a relative of the snake eagles and, like them, it is classified within the subfamily Circaetinae. It is the only member of the genus Terathopius and may be the origin of the "Zimbabwe Bird", the national emblem of Zimbabwe. Adult bateleurs are generally black in colour with a chestnut colour on the mantle as well as also on the rump and tail. Adults also have gray patches about the leading edges of the wings with bright red on their cere and their feet. Adults also show white greater coverts, contrasting with black remiges in males, gray patches on the underwing primaries and black wingtips. The juvenile bateleur is quite different, being largely drab brown with a bit of paler feather scaling. All bateleurs have extremely large heads for their size, rather small bills, large feet, relatively short legs, long, bow-like wings and uniquely short tails, which are much smaller still on adults compared to juvenile birds.
The Amur falcon is a small raptor of the falcon family. It breeds in south-eastern Siberia and Northern China before migrating in large flocks across India and over the Arabian Sea to winter in Southern and East African coasts.
The Australian hobby, also known as the little falcon, is one of six Australian members of the family Falconidae. This predominantly diurnal bird of prey derives its name ‘longipennis’ from its long primary wing feathers. It occurs throughout Australia and other neighbouring countries with migrating individuals found on the islands of Indonesia and New Guinea.
The spotted kestrel is also known as the Moluccan kestrel.
The African hobby is a small species of bird of prey in the family Falconidae.
The rock kestrel is a bird of prey species belonging to the kestrel group of the falcon family Falconidae. It was previously considered a subspecies of the common kestrel.
The gyrfalcon, the largest of the falcon species, is a bird of prey. The abbreviation gyr is also used. It breeds on Arctic coasts and tundra, and the islands of northern North America and the Eurosiberian region. It is mainly a resident there also, but some gyrfalcons disperse more widely after the breeding season, or in winter. Individual vagrancy can take birds for long distances. Its plumage varies with location, with birds being coloured from all-white to dark brown. These colour variations are called morphs. Like other falcons, it shows sexual dimorphism, with the female much larger than the male. For centuries, the gyrfalcon has been valued as a hunting bird. Typical prey includes the ptarmigan and waterfowl, which it may take in flight; it also takes fish and mammals.
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