Bat Falcon

Falco rufigularis

OrderFalconiformes

FamilyFalconidae

HabitatTropical lowland forest edges and clearings with tall snags

SeasonAccidental vagrant to Texas; resident from Mexico to South America

LocationSanta Ana National Wildlife Refuge, Alamo, Texas, Hidalgo County, Texas

Size9-12 inches, wingspan 22-26 inches

DietSmall birds, bats, dragonflies, and large insects

ConservationLeast Concern (IUCN)

CameraNikon D500Lens600mmAperturef/6.3Shutter1/50ISO3200

A Bat Falcon owning the snag it made famous, Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge.

About the Bat Falcon

The Bat Falcon is a small, dashing tropical falcon with a dark hood, white throat, finely barred chest, and rich rufous belly. True to its name, it hunts bats at dusk, but it spends most of its day making blistering sprints after dragonflies and small birds from a favorite high perch.

This species made North American birding history when one appeared at Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge in the winter of 2021-2022, the first ever recorded in the United States. Birders from every corner of the country made the pilgrimage to the Rio Grande Valley to see it sitting on its favorite snag.

These photographs are of that very bird, taken at Santa Ana on December 29, 2021. A first United States record is about as good as it gets for a day of birding in Texas.

Want to see a Bat Falcon in the wild?
Join one of my guided birding tours! Fine art prints of my photos are also available.

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