Polihierax semitorquatus
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%
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 |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report an African Pygmy Falcon sighting in Tsavo West National Park on a given day, based on 151 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 106th most-seen of the 380 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February and June
In those months about 40% of wildlife watchers report an African Pygmy Falcon in Tsavo West National Park on a given day, against about 10% in March, July, September and November–January, the lowest months. Those are among Tsavo West National Park's driest months, with about 25 mm of rain a month against 140 mm in November.
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.
4th of 15
Of the 15 parks where we can rate African Pygmy Falcon sightings, Tsavo West National Park ranks 4th at about 20%. 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%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the African Pygmy Falcon is recorded against all the birds logged in Tsavo West National Park (151 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.
