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
HabitatOpen grassland, farmland, lightly wooded country, and urban edges with exposed hunting perches.
Best timeReported across most months in New South Wales, with no narrow seasonal peak.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by Marc Anderson
Range map
Range map
200approx hotspots
282941approx records
6states
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
New South Wales
Queensland
Western Australia
Victoria
Tasmania
Northern Territory
South Australia
Australian Capital Territory