You're welcome! I'm familiar with birds of prey in the US...I'm learning about raptors in other countries, and it's fascinating! I think the African Pygmy Falcon is the smallest known falcon in the world...not positive. Our American Kestrel is the smallest in the US, and it's definitely bigger than this one! A little fact about most birds..."babies" are usually full size when they start to fly...they don't have their mature flight feathers until they are full-sized. All the pint-sized raptors make me melt!! ;-)
Thanks for the ID, and I also believe your idea of why he is fluffed up. It was extremely hot that day and I'm sure he was trying to cool down as much as I was. It's hard for me to believe though that that is their actual size! I could fit the little guy in my hand, but he doesn't have the markings of a juvenile so you are correct he is full grown and a male. :)
He is very cute, but I think your "baby" falcon is actually an adult African Pygmy Falcon...I'm not positive...but it is not a baby...he's probably fluffed because he's hot...here's a Wiki link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pygmy_Falco...
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So cute!!
So cool!
You're welcome! I'm familiar with birds of prey in the US...I'm learning about raptors in other countries, and it's fascinating! I think the African Pygmy Falcon is the smallest known falcon in the world...not positive. Our American Kestrel is the smallest in the US, and it's definitely bigger than this one! A little fact about most birds..."babies" are usually full size when they start to fly...they don't have their mature flight feathers until they are full-sized. All the pint-sized raptors make me melt!! ;-)
Thanks for the ID, and I also believe your idea of why he is fluffed up. It was extremely hot that day and I'm sure he was trying to cool down as much as I was. It's hard for me to believe though that that is their actual size! I could fit the little guy in my hand, but he doesn't have the markings of a juvenile so you are correct he is full grown and a male. :)
He is very cute, but I think your "baby" falcon is actually an adult African Pygmy Falcon...I'm not positive...but it is not a baby...he's probably fluffed because he's hot...here's a Wiki link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pygmy_Falco...
Adorable!