Back to Field Guide
Red-footed Falcon
Falco vespertinus
Audubon Illustration
John James Audubon, Birds of America (1827-1838). Public domain.
Migration Flyway
Showing primary migration corridor(s) for this species
Last Spotted Near You
About the Red-footed Falcon
The red-footed falcon (Falco vespertinus), formerly the western red-footed falcon, is a bird of prey. It belongs to the family Falconidae, the falcons. This bird is found in eastern Europe and Asia although its numbers are dwindling rapidly due to habitat loss and hunting. It is migratory, wintering in Africa. It is a regular wanderer to western Europe, and in August 2004 a red-footed falcon was found in North America for the first time on the island of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts.
Source: Wikipedia
Classification
- Scientific name
- Falco vespertinus
- Family
- Falcons and Caracaras
- Order
- Falconiformes
Similar species
Other members of the falcons and caracaras family recorded in North America — a useful place to start if you are not certain of your identification.
- American Kestrel Falco sparverius
- Aplomado Falcon Falco femoralis
- Barred Forest-Falcon Micrastur ruficollis
- Bat Falcon Falco rufigularis
- Collared Forest-Falcon Micrastur semitorquatus
- Crested Caracara Caracara plancus
- Eurasian Hobby Falco subbuteo
- Eurasian Kestrel Falco tinnunculus
- Guadalupe Caracara Caracara lutosa
- Gyrfalcon Falco rusticolus
- Lanner Falcon Falco biarmicus
- Laughing Falcon Herpetotheres cachinnans
Know when the Red-footed Falcon turns up near you
How rare bird alerts work →Gear for spotting Red-footed Falcon
Optics
Best Binoculars for Beginners
You don't need to spend a fortune. These four pairs will get you birding confidently on day one.
8 min readRead guide
Cameras
Cameras for Bird Photography
From phone adapters to dedicated rigs, here's what actually works for capturing birds in the field.
12 min readRead guide