Pygmy Falcon

Pygmy Falcon
	African Pygmy Falcon - Polihierax semitorquatus
Conservation status
	; Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Clade:	Inopinaves
Order:	Falconiformes
Family:	Falconidae
Subfamily:	Falconinae
Tribe:	Polihieracini
Genus:	Polihierax
Species:	P. semitorquatus
Binomial name
	Polihierax semitorquatus; (Smith, 1836)
	File:Polihierax semitorquatus distribution map.svg
	Global range.; Green: Resident all year; Pink: Vagrant in Rwanda; See also text for recent range expansion.

The Pygmy Falcon (Polihierax semitorquatus) is a falcon and a member of the Falconidae family. It is the smallest raptor of the African continent and the smallest raptor of the world.

The species is monotypic, although northern birds are perhaps marginally larger and darker than southern birds,^[1] otherwise monotypic.^[2] Fuchs et al. (2015) found that the two species of Polihierax are not closely related, with the Pygmy Falcon closer to Microhierax and the White-rumped Falcon nearer Falco.^[3]

Click for other names
Other common names	It is also known as the African Pygmy Falcon.
Scientific	Falco simitorquata [sic] A. Smith, 1836

Neohierax insignis, a similar species.

Description[]

Similar species[]

White-rumped Falcon

Behaviour[]

It sometimes shows similar behaviours to shrikes.

Diet[]

It eats mainly small reptiles and insects, but also small rodents and birds.

Calls[]

Reproduction[]

Distribution/habitat[]

African savannas.

References[]

^ Ferguson-Lees, James; Christie, D.A. (2006). Raptors of the World (Princeton Field Guides). Princeton Field Guides. ISBN 0713669578.
^ Kemp, A.C., Boesman, P. & Marks, J.S. (2016). African Pygmy-falcon (Polihierax semitorquatus). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from http://www.hbw.com/node/53205 on 12 March 2016).
^ Fuchs, J., J.A. Johnson, and D.P. Mindell (2015), Rapid diversification of falcons (Aves: Falconidae) due to expansion of open habitats in the Late Miocene, Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. 82, 166-182.

External links[]

Projects

This article is part of Project Aves, a All Birds project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each bird, including made-up species.

This article is part of Project Falconiformes, a All Birds project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each falcon and caracara, including made-up species.

This article is part of Project Falconinae, a All Birds project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each falcon, including made-up species.

This article is part of Project Bird Genera, a All Birds project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each genus, including made-up genera.

This article is part of Project Monotypic Genera, a All Birds project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each monotypic genera, including made-up species.

[RaptorsOTW-1] Ferguson-Lees, James; Christie, D.A. (2006). Raptors of the World (Princeton Field Guides). Princeton Field Guides. ISBN 0713669578.

[HBWAlive-2] Kemp, A.C., Boesman, P. & Marks, J.S. (2016). African Pygmy-falcon (Polihierax semitorquatus). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from http://www.hbw.com/node/53205 on 12 March 2016).

[Fuchsetal-3] Fuchs, J., J.A. Johnson, and D.P. Mindell (2015), Rapid diversification of falcons (Aves: Falconidae) due to expansion of open habitats in the Late Miocene, Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. 82, 166-182.

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