The Amur Falcon - Falco amurensis - is a small raptor that winters in Southern Africa and breeds in south eastern Siberia and Northern China. In its winter range, this species inhabits moist grasslands and open areas in woodland. In Southern Africa, it occurs in large flocks.

Description

Males are dark sooty brown with a chestnut vent. They have white underwing coverts.

Females have grey on the top of the head, barring on the lower belly, a red cere and feet.

Food

This species searches for prey from telephone or electricity lines, or while hovering, dropping to the ground, kestrel-fashion, to capture prey and return to the perch to eat it. Its food consists mainly of insects - termite emergences, locust swarms, and crop harboring beetles.

Breeding

They nest in deserted or new nests of magpies, crows, and raptors in trees. Clutch size is 2-6 eggs, which are white with dense brown and reddish-brown markings. Females perform the incubation duties, and the male captures and delivers prey to the female and the nestlings. The nestling period is 27-29 days. During the post-fledging period, the young and adults perch together on poles and trees in open areas, where they hunt small voles and large insects.

Conservation Status – Least Concern

There is no clear evidence for large-scale changes in its distribution and numbers in Africa, but the grassland regions it favors are under severe pressure from agriculture and afforestation.

Birdwatching

Ask Aves Birding Tours/Safaris/Adventures to create a customized tour for you to see these Falcons or join one of the Aves Birding Tours/Safaris/Adventures scheduled tours: -

Aves Highlands / Tembe Birding Tour / Safari / Adventure.

Aves KZN Birding Tour / Safari / Adventure.

Aves North East Birding Tour / Safari / Adventure.

Aves North West Birding Tour / Safari / Adventure.