Gould believed that this attractive falcon, although a rare migrant, had been captured so many times in England, that it deserved a place among British birds. Unlike other falcons it fed on insects captured at twilight, and seldom preyed on birds. Great diversity occurred in the colouring of immature, male and female birds. The life-size male (slate-grey and rusty-brown) is shown above and the female (barred slate-grey and pale rusty-yellow) is below.

DISTRIBUTION: Breeds Eurasia from eastern Sweden, Poland and Romania eastwards to Siberia and extreme northwest China. Winters in Africa south of the Sahara. Rare but regular vagrant to Britain, mainly between April and early November