Want to know where and when to find Pygmy Falcon? opspoor shows recent sightings across South Africa's parks and when each species is usually active.
Where to see Pygmy Falcon in South Africa
About the Pygmy Falcon
Africa's smallest bird of prey, a diminutive white-bellied raptor of dry bush and Kalahari savanna. Males have a grey back and females a chestnut back, with white false "eye spots" on the nape. It hunts reptiles, insects and small birds from a high perch, and is an obligate associate of sociable weaver colonies, roosting and breeding almost exclusively in the vacant chambers of their giant communal nests.
How to identify the Pygmy Falcon
Extremely small size (about 20 cm), white underparts, and near-constant association with the giant multichambered nests of sociable weavers are the clearest identification cues
Did you know?
Marks the entrance to its nest chamber with a conspicuous white-to-pink faecal mat, thought to deter snakes and signal occupancy to other falcons.
Also known as: African Pygmy Falcon
Planning a safari? Pick a park above to see when and where to look for Pygmy Falcon, and log your own sightings in opspoor, even with no signal.