Australia's smallest raptor, often seen hovering in place while scanning for prey on the ground.
Not listed
Endemic to Australia
Indigenous: Wala
At a glance
FamilyFalcons and Caracaras
SizeMedium
RarityCommon
HabitatTwo subspecies are recognised: the nominate subspecies Falco cenchroides cenchroides is found throughout Australia and Tasmania , as well as Christmas Island , Norfolk Island , Lord Howe Island , and as a non-breeding visitor to southern New Guinea ; and F. c. baru Rand, 1940 is found in the Snow Mountains of west central New Guinea.
Best timeReported across most months in New South Wales, with no narrow seasonal peak.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by Marc Anderson
Range map
Range map
17593visible hotspots
282994visible records
5states
Low confidenceMediumHigh confidence
Aggregated occurance data is sourced from 14 different actively-updating datasets including eBird Australia, iNaturalist Australia, BirdLife Australia, and multiple state-based bird surveys through Atlas of Living Australia.
Species notes
Overview
Adult male has gray head; female more rust-colored.
Behavior
Often hovers in one spot searching for a variety of prey including insects and rodents. Common in farm-dominated areas and grasslands.
Gallery
Regional timing
Western Australia
New South Wales
South Australia
Queensland
Northern Territory
Victoria
Tasmania
Australian Capital Territory