About Falco cuvierii A.Smith, 1830
This is a description of Falco cuvierii A.Smith, 1830, a small, slim falcon. Adults have blackish upperparts, deep rufous underparts, and rufous coloring on the cheeks, nape, and throat. When viewed at close range, fine black streaks are visible on the throat and flanks. The facial skin and feet of adults are yellow. Juvenile birds have browner upperparts, heavier streaking on the underparts, and paler coloring on the cheeks, nape, and throat. Adults measure 20 centimetres (7.9 in) in length, with a wingspan of 70 centimetres (28 in). This species most often occurs at the edges of moist woodlands and forests. It is most common in palm savannah and gallery forest across West Africa and the western regions of East Africa, and less common in central and north-eastern Africa. It has been recorded in Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. This species may be nomadic, moving to follow available food sources.
