African Wildlife & Environment Issue 74

BIRDING

B ird fanatics around the world are fascinated by the falcon’s irresistible energy and attitude, by its perfection of form, and by its incredible powers of flight. The Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus (R 171), Afrikaans ‘Swerfvalk’ is one of themost comprehensively studied and best-known birds on the planet. This is partly because it is so widely distributed, found on every continent and major land mass except New Zealand and Antarctica. The species received intensive conservation attention in the latter half of the 20th century, after populations in Europe and the U S were decimated by the effects of persistent organochlorine pesticides like DDT. There are two subspecies of Peregrines present in South Africa, the African Peregrine and the larger ‘migrant Peregrine’. The migrant bird breeds in the far eastern tundra region of the USSR and forages in the rolling, treeless marshy plains of Siberia and northern Asia. It migrates to South Africa from about

late November to March. Apart from its larger size, it is pure white, not buffy on the underparts with less barring and spotting than the African Peregrine. Peregrines inhabit high cliffs and gorges, coastal and inland, being scarce and uncommon; however, the local race is locally common in the Western Cape. Breeding birds require high, inaccessible cliffs and gorges, or tall buildings on which to nest. Migrant birds occur in a wide range of open habitats, and often forage over wetlands. The distribution of the African Peregrine is very widespread in South Africa, with the highest density on the Cape Peninsula, Western Cape. They are most active during early morning and evening. Their call is a raucous “K ak-kak-kak-kak-kak ", uttered around nesting cliffs, and they are very vocal at the nest site. They are usually solitary or in pairs, and may perch for long periods on a favourite ledge or crag.

Photographs: Albert Froneman

39 | African Wildlife & Environment | Issue 74 (2019)