Taita Falcon
Encyclopedia
The Taita Falcon is one of the smallest falcons in the Southern African Sub-region. It was first described from the Taita Hills
of Kenya
from which it derives its name. It is spread throughout the eastern portion of subsaharan Africa but is mostly found in Kenya. There are a few nesting sites in Zimbabwe
(Zambezi River) and Northeastern South Africa
.
It is also rather scarce and relatively endangered. In Southern Africa itself, there are a few regular breeding sites where the birds can regularly be found.
Its courting and mating period is similar to that of the Peregrine Falcon. The same applies to its vocal as well as territorial preference.
, but important features to look out for are a white throat and the obvious rufous patches on the nape. Also the underwing coverts are uniform rufous whereas in African Hobby has more streaking. The most obvious underwing feature though is the fact that the flight feathers are barred black and white where as there is much more rufous in the flight feathers of African Hobby.The robust, long-winged Taita Falcons have a short tail. Their flight is fast and somewhat heavy looking, but they are adept at aerial hunting.
The Taita Falcon has a body length of 10 – 12 inches, an approximate wingspan of 1 – 2 feet, and weighs 7 – 11 ounces.
Taita Hills
The Taita Hills, sometimes also spelled as Teita Hills, are a precambrian mountain range in the south-west of Kenya in Taita-Taveta District. The hills consist of three massifs namely Dabida, Sagalla in the southern side of Voi township and Kasigau in the south near the border of Tanzania...
of Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
from which it derives its name. It is spread throughout the eastern portion of subsaharan Africa but is mostly found in Kenya. There are a few nesting sites in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
(Zambezi River) and Northeastern South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
It is also rather scarce and relatively endangered. In Southern Africa itself, there are a few regular breeding sites where the birds can regularly be found.
Its courting and mating period is similar to that of the Peregrine Falcon. The same applies to its vocal as well as territorial preference.
Description
This small falcon is fairly distinctive, but may offer some confusion with a few other species.The rufous belly causes resemblance with African HobbyAfrican Hobby
The African Hobby is a species of bird of prey in the Falconidae family.It is found in Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea,...
, but important features to look out for are a white throat and the obvious rufous patches on the nape. Also the underwing coverts are uniform rufous whereas in African Hobby has more streaking. The most obvious underwing feature though is the fact that the flight feathers are barred black and white where as there is much more rufous in the flight feathers of African Hobby.The robust, long-winged Taita Falcons have a short tail. Their flight is fast and somewhat heavy looking, but they are adept at aerial hunting.
The Taita Falcon has a body length of 10 – 12 inches, an approximate wingspan of 1 – 2 feet, and weighs 7 – 11 ounces.