Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Red-footed Falcons in Hungary















As already mentioned, Red-footed Falcon was voted the "bird of the week" by a group of birders I guided in eastern Hungary last week. This wonderful little raptor was a worthy choice. We had superb close views of males and females occupying nest-sites, flocks circling above us, birds hunting and one of two pairs mating. In the Hortobagy National Park nest-boxes have been put up and the Red-foots readily take to them. As they do not build their own nests Red-foots depend upon corvid nests and the provision of man-made boxes eases the pressure on birds to find and take over such nests. The photo here shows a typical setting: grazed grassland with scattered trees, each with a nest-box.  

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