![]() While the falcon pairs enjoy the benefits of the weavers’ work, the weavers gain a pair of bodyguards to protect them from snakes, such as cobras, that prey upon the nest chambers. The falcons do not bother the weavers beyond the eviction of 1–2 pairs and occasionally killing a chick when other food is scarce. These huge nests provide a safe,weatherproof environment for the falcons. Because of their small size, African pygmy falcons are able to share the nest colony of sociable weavers. They usually roost during the hotter parts of the day.These falcons are rapid and agile in flight, darting through the air in quick bursts, similar to those of a woodpecker. Like all falcons, the African pygmyfalcon regurgitates 1–2 pellets daily, which contain all the indigestible food fragments, such as fur and bones.īehavior : African pygmy falcons are diurnal, with activity peaks in the early morning and late afternoon. Once its victim is sighted, the pygmy falcon quickly dives to the ground, snatching its victim in its talons, and taking it back to the perch to be eaten. Perching from a tall tree, the pygmy falcon watches the ground below for movement from a potential meal. In spite of its small size, the African pygmy falcon is a voracious predator, like birds of prey. The pygmy falcon occasionally shares the nests of the whiteheaded buffalo weaver and those of the sparrow weaver.įood & Hunting : The African pygmy falcon mostly feeds on insects and lizards, though occasionally rodents and small birds are consumed. The African pygmy falcon typically avoids open forests and forest edges.This falcon also frequents the huge nests of weavers, especially the sociable weaver, Philetairus socius, sharing its roosting and nesting site. In either part of the continent, the pygmy falcon inhabits the arid and semiarid savannah and scrubland, which features sparse groundcover and scattered large trees dotting the landscape. Habitat : The African pygmy falcon lives in two distinct and widely separated populations in Africa: one in the southwestern part of the continent and the other in the northeast. ![]() They found in eastern and southern Africa: parts of Ethiopia, Somalia, Uganda, Kenya,Tanzania, Angola,Transvaal, Botswana, Namibia and South Africa. Despite its small size, the pygmy falcon is a bold predator armed with sharp talons and a strong, hooked beak for catching and killing its prey. Unlike other birds of prey that build a large solitary nest, the African pygmy falcon lives alongside a friendly host, the sociable weaver, and adopts a chamber in the weaver nest. “We have had great success with this species at Franklin Park Zoo and are one of only a few zoos in North America that is successfully breeding African Pygmy Falcons,” he added.Order : Falconiformes Genus & Species : Falconidae Family : Polihierax semitorquatus “It takes a very dedicated effort to raise these tiny falcons,” curator Fred Beall told the press in a recent interview. However, they are now feeding them less often and expect that, soon enough, the falcons will be able to look after themselves. The other one hatched a few days later, on February 8.Īt first, caretakers at Franklin Park Zoo had to feed the chick about six, sometime even seven, meals on a daily basis. ![]() ![]() This is because, after keeping a close eye on their parents after the eggs had been laid, it was concluded that the two adult birds would have probably failed to properly look after them.Īccording to the same source, one of the falcon chicks emerged from its egg on February 3. Zoo Borns tells us that, although staff at Franklin Park Zoo much prefer letting animal parents look after their offspring, these two fellows were hatched in an incubator. The baby birds, pictured above, aren't exactly overflowing with cuteness, but this does not mean that they are deprived of love and affection. ![]() Franklin Park Zoo in the state of Massachusetts in the US is now home to a pair of African pygmy chicks. ![]()
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