LANNER FALCON
Falco biarmicus

uHeshe (Zulu) Edelvalk (Afrikaans)

HABITAT
Found throughout KwaZulu-Natal from the mountains of the Ukhahlamba Drakensberg Park to the woodlands of the Zululand game parks. It perches on dead trees and on telephone poles and can be seen as a solitary bird, a pair or in small groups.

TYPE
This small raptor is larger than its cousin the Peregrine and has a pale rufous crown the sides of which are black as are the malar stripes(the verticle bar below the eye). The upper parts are bluish grey somewhat lighter on the rump and tail. The underparts are pinkish buff sparsely spotted brown on the sides of the belly. The tail is barred. The eyes are dark brown, the bill grey and the cere, eyering, legs and feet are yellow.

BREEDING
They nest from June to November in a scrape on a ledge of a cliff or a building or the abandoned nest of another raptor, pied crow, egret and heron. The eggs usually number three to four and are a creamy white washed and spotted in shades of red.

FOOD
Birds up to the size of a small francolin, small mammals, reptiles and insects. They hunt from a perch or in flight sometimes in cooperation with other Lanners where one flushes the prey and the other catches it.

STATUS
A fairly common resident.