Scientific Name: Falco fasciinucha Afrikaans Name: Taitavalk
This small falcon derives its name from the place that the species was first collected – Taita in Kenya. They nest in erosion holes in sheer cliffs and tend to live in the same terrain as peregrine falcons. Competition with this larger species is a possible reason for their rarity. They hunt mainly small birds and protect their nests aggressively.
Taita Falcons are listed in the RED DATA BOOK as ‘Rare’.The birds on display were captive-bred in 2006 and 2007 right here at the facility – a first for South Africa! The parent birds were originally confiscated in the Limpopo province and ended up at the Moholoholo Rehabilitation Centre where they laid eggs, but didn’t breed. Here these adults are in our breeding section and breed annually