Red-footed Falcon

Falco vespertinus

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderFalconiformes (Falcons and Caracaras)
FamilyFalconidae (Falcons and Caracaras)
GenusFalco (Typical Falcons)
SpeciesFalco vespertinus (Red-footed Falcon)

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

at Plitvice Lakes National Park

1 Verified sightings at Plitvice Lakes National Park From 2019 to 2026

1,358 Verified sightings across all 29 parks From 2019 to 2026

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Red-footed Falcon

The red-footed falcon (Falco vespertinus), formerly the western red-footed falcon, is a bird of prey. It belongs to the family Falconidae, the falcons. This bird is found in eastern Europe and Asia although its numbers are dwindling rapidly due to habitat loss and hunting. It is migratory, wintering in Africa. It is a regular wanderer to western Europe, and in August 2004 a red-footed falcon was found in North America for the first time on the island of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts.

The Amur falcon was formerly included herein as a subspecies but it is nowadays considered distinct. Nonetheless, it is the present species' closest relative; their relationship to other falcons is more enigmatic. They appear morphologically somewhat intermediate between kestrels and hobbies and DNA sequence data has been unable to further resolve this question, mainly due to lack of comprehensive sampling. They might be closer to the merlin than to most other living falcons, or more generally related to this species and American falcons such as the American kestrel and the aplomado falcon.

The genus name Falco is from Late Latin falx, falcis, a sickle, referencing the claws of the bird... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Plitvice Lakes National Park

LC Endemic

Falco tinnunculus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Falco subbuteo

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Hortobágy National Park	🇭🇺 Hungary	~20%
2	Fertő-Hanság National Park	🇭🇺 Hungary	~20%
3	Kiskunság National Park	🇭🇺 Hungary	~20%
4	Ecrins National Park	🇫🇷 France	~10%
5	Biebrza National Park	🇵🇱 Poland	<5%
6	Chobe National Park	🇧🇼 Botswana	<5%
7	Hwange National Park	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	<5%
8	Etosha National Park	🇳🇦 Namibia	<5%
9	Białowieża National Park	🇵🇱 Poland	<5%
10	Pyrénées National Park	🇫🇷 France	<5%
11	Wadden Sea National Park	🇩🇪 Germany	<5%
12	Kruger National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	<5%
13	Golden Gate Highlands National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	Insufficient data
14	Hohe Tauern National Park	🇦🇹 Austria	Insufficient data
15	Pilanesberg National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	Insufficient data
16	Niokolo-Koba National Park	🇸🇳 Senegal	Insufficient data
17	Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	Insufficient data
18	Cévennes National Park	🇫🇷 France	Insufficient data
19	Mercantour National Park	🇫🇷 France	Insufficient data
20	Camargue	🇫🇷 France	Insufficient data
21	Moremi Game Reserve	🇧🇼 Botswana	Insufficient data
22	Plitvice Lakes National Park	🇭🇷 Croatia	Insufficient data
23	Triglav National Park	🇸🇮 Slovenia	Insufficient data
24	South Luangwa National Park	🇿🇲 Zambia	Insufficient data
25	Bavarian Forest National Park	🇩🇪 Germany	Insufficient data
26	Namib-Naukluft National Park	🇳🇦 Namibia	Insufficient data
27	Tsavo East National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	Insufficient data
28	Masai Mara National Reserve	🇰🇪 Kenya	Insufficient data
29	Monfragüe National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	Insufficient data

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