Polihierax semitorquatus
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5% in a week ~10%
The African pygmy falcon (Polihierax semitorquatus)—or simply pygmy falcon—is a diminutive raptor native to eastern and southern Africa. It is the sole species in its monotypic genus, Polihierax. The pygmy falcon is the smallest bird of prey on the African continent, and among the smallest raptors on earth; only the Asian falconets (of the genus Microhierax) are smaller, weighing roughly 30-40 grams less and measuring about 5 cm shorter from head to tail.
Adult pygmy falcons are 20 cm (7.9 in) in length and 54 to 76 g (1.9–2.7 oz) in weight. These birds are white-bellied, extending up to the face, with males having grey on their backsides, and females having a chestnut back. There are white "eye spots" on the nape. Juveniles have a brown back, duller than adult females, with a rufous wash on the breast. The flight feathers of the wings are spotted black and white (more black above, more white below); the tail is barred black and white.
Their flight style is low and undulating. With regards to the pygmy falcon's similarly small size and similar feather colors, they superficially resemble some species of shrikes. The call is "a high-pitched kikiKIK, repeated" (Kenya... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Samburu National Reserve | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 2 | Awash National Park | 🇪🇹 Ethiopia | |
| 3 | Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 4 | Tsavo West National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 5 | Serengeti National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 6 | Tarangire National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 7 | Meru National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 8 | Namib-Naukluft National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 9 | Tsavo East National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 10 | Mkomazi National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 11 | Amboseli National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 12 | Ngorongoro Conservation Area | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 13 | Kidepo Valley National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 14 | Masai Mara National Reserve | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 15 | Etosha National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Denver Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Bronx Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Warsaw Zoo | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 5 | Franklin Park Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Fort Worth Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Zoo Knoxville | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Memphis Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Wilhelma | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 10 | Houston Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 11 | San Antonio Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 12 | Giraffe House | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 13 | African Dawn Bird and Wildlife Sanctuary | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 14 | Thirsk Birds of Prey Centre | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 15 | herpetarium warszawskiego ZOO | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 16 | akwarium warszawskiego ZOO | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 17 | hipopotamiarnia i akwarium morskie warszawskiego ZOO | 🇵🇱 Poland |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report an African Pygmy Falcon sighting in Masai Mara National Reserve on a given day, based on 38 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 305th most-seen of the 398 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, and over a week to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report an African Pygmy Falcon in Masai Mara National Reserve on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most African Pygmy Falcon sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
14th of 15
Of the 15 parks where we can rate African Pygmy Falcon sightings, Masai Mara National Reserve ranks 14th at under 5%. The best odds are in Samburu National Reserve (Kenya, about 30%), Awash National Park (Ethiopia, about 20%) and Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (South Africa, about 20%).
Same family: Falconidae
The closest relatives of the African Pygmy Falcon that you can see in Masai Mara National Reserve (family Falconidae, Falcons and Caracaras) are Grey Kestrel (about 20%), Lesser Kestrel (about 10%) and Common Kestrel (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the African Pygmy Falcon is recorded against all the birds logged in Masai Mara National Reserve (38 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
