Falcons - Adrenaline Junkies of the Bird World

Squadrons of Little Swifts scudded low above the damp Manyara airstrip before swooping sharply up into their mud nests clustered beneath a rusted tin roof. Waiting for a Twin Otter on the rim of the Great Rift Valley, Ngorongoro Crater Lodge ranger Anaeli Makyao and I watched in admiration as the sickle-shaped birds went about their seamless aerobatics. Suddenly, PHWUUUR - I felt a rush of wind just a few millimetres from my ear, as a Lanner Falcon cut through the thick tropical air to send the swifts into tail-spinning panic. Before we really knew what was happening, a second falcon barrelled into the disturbed flock and seized a screeching swift without breaking its stride. Like a triumphant fighter pilot, the predator climbed steeply upwards and then banked towards the escarpment in a victory fly-by. By now, the first falcon, a heavier female, was on its tail and the pair disappeared with their quarry.

Speed and Power

Falcons epitomise speed and power. Among birds they are the adrenaline junkies. With few exceptions, the true falcons are specialised predators of birds, which they strike in midair after a dare-devil, high-speed stoop and chase. Prey is either latched onto in flight, or retrieved after a stunning blow. The Peregrine Falcon is regarded as the fastest flying creature on Earth, with speeds of up to 188 kilometres (117 miles) per hour having been clocked (although some experiments suggest that they may obtain even greater speeds). Falcons are characterised by long, pointed wings and a distinctive notched bill. Many species have distinctive dark moustacial streaks, resembling tear marks.

Falcons, Kestrels, Hobbies

Closely related to the falcons, and belonging, in fact, to the same genus, are the kestrels and hobbies. Ornithologists seem undecided as to what makes a falcon a falcon, and a kestrel not a falcon, but kestrels generally lead more sedate lives. Birds such as the Lesser Kestrel drop onto their prey from perches or by hovering. Several species of kestrel are gregarious insectivores, and flocks undergo long-distance migration from northern Europe and Asia, into Africa. The Amur Falcon, which breeds in south-eastern Siberia and northern China, spends several months in Africa, following rain-fronts and feeding primarily on winged termites. This bird, to my mind, and ecologically speaking, is thus more aptly described as a kestrel (it was until recently known as the Eastern Red-footed Kestrel). Hobbies are small falcons which capture most of their prey on the wing, but feed as much on winged termites as they do on small birds and bats.

Why build a nest?

Falcons, kestrels and hobbies do not build nests of any kind, but lay their eggs in the old stick nests of other birds (particularly those of crows, eagles and storks), on bare rocky ledges, in crevices, or in tree holes. In common with many other raptors, some falcons display a significant size difference between males and females (the latter always being larger) which is thought to be an adaptation allowing the more agile male to be able to pursue and prey upon a wider range of species (more chance of bringing home the bacon, so to speak), while the larger female takes responsibility for most of the incubation duties. Interestingly, there is little or no difference in the mass of male and female kestrels or hobbies, presumably because their typical prey presents few challenges in terms of capture.

Peregrine Falcon

This is one of the most cosmopolitan bird species, occurring on six continents (only the Barn Owl and Osprey have similarly broad global distributions) and also as a transcontinental migrant. Despite its extensive range it is nowhere a common species and was, in fact, a highly endangered one in Europe and North America until quite recently. Studies revealed that Peregrines accumulated pesticide residues (especially from organochlorines such as dieldrin and DDT which is now banned as an agricultural pesticide in the USA and Europe) and this severely affected their breeding output. Since the banning of these toxic chemicals (which are also dangerous to mankind and every other organism), combined with other conservation actions including reintroduction programmes, the species has bounced back strongly. In Africa, the resident race (minor) is restricted to mountainous regions where territorial pairs breed on narrow ledges of cliff faces. In the southern summer, small numbers of migratory Peregrines of the race 'calidris', visit sub-Saharan Africa as non-breeding visitors from Siberia, and these distinctly larger, whiter-fronted birds can turn up in any habitat. Doves, pigeons, starlings and swifts are among the favoured prey of Peregrines.

Lanner Falcon

Slightly larger than the resident Peregrine, the Lanner is a less fussy bird in terms of its habitat requirements. Some pairs breed on cliff faces like Peregrines (and may then compete directly) but others are quite happy in flat bushveld or semi-desert, where they utilise the old nests of other birds in trees, or on man-made structures such as power pylons and telegraph poles. Doves and sandgrouse are among the most common prey items, but a big female Lanner is capable of taking any bird up to the size of a spurfowl.

Red-necked Falcon

This is a small falcon of open, semi-desert country, or palm savanna. Pairs breed in old crow nests along seasonal watercourses, or in the crown of tall palm trees. Small granivorous birds are the main prey, and pairs of these falcons typically station themselves at waterholes to take advantage of the thirsty bird traffic.

Taita Falcon

A small falcon which is restricted to extremely high cliff faces, where resident pairs hunt swifts, martins and starlings. There are thought to be less than 500 pairs throughout Africa, mostly on Rift Valley escarpments in Tanzania, Kenya and Ethiopia, with a few well known sites in Zimbabwe and one in South Africa.

Pygmy Falcon

This tiny, shrike-sized raptor might more correctly be called a 'falconet' for it is about the same size as the south-east Asian birds of that name, and behaves similarly. Pairs defend territories in dry woodland, where they feed predominantly on lizards. Interestingly, these little falcons have a close association with colonial weavers, the straw nests of which they usurp for their own breeding purposes. There are two distinct populations in Africa (one centred on the Kalahari and the other in the acacia grasslands of East Africa) which have become isolated from one another due to past climate regimes.

Falconry - Art or Sport

This is the sport - some would say art - of training falcons, hawks, or eagles to hunt game (especially spurfowl, partridges, ducks and pheasants). The Persians and Chinese independently began falconry more than 3,000 years ago, no doubt after being awestruck at the hunting prowess of these magnificent birds. Falconry flourished in Europe during the Middle Ages, where each social class was assigned a certain falcon or hawk to fly as a symbol of rank. Kings flew majestic Gyr or Peregrine Falcons, while serfs were allowed goshawks. In the 1700s, the wide use of firearms nearly brought an end to falconry, as gamebirds could be hunted more easily. The sport, however, continues to attract many followers, especially in North America, Europe, and the Middle East, but has many critics, due to the unscrupulous activities of some individuals who trap wild adults or raid nests for young. Legally speaking, falconers should obtain a licence for their birds which originate from reputable captive centres. In recent decades, many falconers have played a significant role in conservation through rehabilitation work and captive breeding programmes, as well as through education and awareness at public access falconry centres.

Training falcons requires extreme patience and persistence. Basically, a hunting bird must be tamed, or "manned," and taught to return to the falconer's fist or to a lure. Special devices aid the falconer. A leather hood covers the eyes of the bird to keep it calm, while small bells or radio transmitters are fitted to help locate it if it becomes lost. Jesses (leg straps) restrict the bird's movement when it is on the falconer's hand or perch, while a heavy glove protects the falconer's hand from the bird's sharp claws.

andBEYOND's Falcon Hotspots

A total of 16 species of falcon (including kestrels and hobbies) are resident or regularly encountered in southern and eastern Africa. Set below the Great Rift Valley, Lake Manyara Tree Lodge offers guests perhaps the finest raptor viewing on the continent, with 50 species of diurnal birds of prey - including nine falcons - on the Lake Manyara National Park bird checklist. Peregrine and Lanner breed on the high cliffs of the escarpment but regularly hunt in the acacia woodland and along the lakeshore, while Grey Kestrel frequent floodplains with tall palms. Kichwa Tembo, in Kenya's Masai Mara is situated between hills and grasslands favoured by at least seven species of falcon, including flocks of migratory Eurasian Hobby and Lesser Kestrel from late September to early May. Sossusvlei Mountain Lodge in Namibia provides excellent open habitat for six species of falcon, including the dashing Red-necked and the diminutive Pygmy.

- Duncan Butchart -

Posted: Birds by CC Africa, Date: 21 November 2006