A Hartpury University lecturer and zoologist has collaborated on groundbreaking international research that has revealed Africa’s smallest bird of prey uses less than one square kilometre to successfully raise its young, one of the smallest breeding home ranges ever recorded for any raptor.
The study, published in the Journal of Raptor Research, brought together researchers from the University of Cape Town, Hartpury University and the Forest Science and Technology Centre of Catalonia. It used cutting-edge GPS technology to track the movements of Pygmy Falcons (Polihierax semitorquatus), providing unprecedented insight into the behaviour of one of the world’s smallest birds of prey.
Dr Anthony Lowney, Lecturer in Zoology at Hartpury University, collaborated on the research after helping to establish the long-term study during his PhD at the University of Cape Town.
Using miniature GPS devices weighing less than two grams, researchers successfully tracked 13 adult Pygmy Falcons at Tswalu Kalahari Reserve in South Africa. The birds themselves weigh only around 56 grams, meaning technological limitations had previously prevented scientists from studying their movements in such detail.
Analysis of almost 4,000 GPS locations revealed that breeding Pygmy Falcons occupied an average home range of just 0.93 square kilometres while raising chicks. This is around 14 times smaller than the home range previously recorded for the Lesser Kestrel, making it one of the smallest breeding territories documented for a GPS-tracked raptor.
The research also sheds light on the species’ unique breeding ecology. Unlike most birds of prey, Pygmy Falcons do not build their own nests. Instead, they rely entirely on the enormous communal nests of Sociable Weavers, where they breed and roost alongside the colonial birds. This unusual relationship appears to anchor the falcons to an exceptionally small area during the breeding season.
Dr Anthony Lowney said: “This study demonstrates how advances in GPS technology are transforming what we can learn about even the smallest birds of prey. Until recently, it simply wasn’t possible to track a species as small as the Pygmy Falcon in such detail.
“Being part of this collaboration has been particularly rewarding because I helped establish the study during my PhD in South Africa. It’s exciting to now see the first findings published, revealing that these remarkable little raptors have one of the smallest home ranges ever recorded.
“This work provides an important foundation for future research. We already have a follow-up study underway exploring how environmental conditions, including temperature, influence the movements and behaviour of these birds, helping us better understand how small raptors may respond to changing climates.”
The findings also challenge assumptions about the space required by birds of prey. Conservation planning often focuses on large-ranging species such as eagles and vultures, but the research suggests that smaller predators may offer valuable insights into ecological processes occurring at much finer spatial scales.
Interestingly, the study found little difference between the movements of male and female Pygmy Falcons during the breeding season, suggesting both parents play an equally important role in caring for their chicks.
The researchers hope to continue investigating how the birds’ movements change outside the breeding season, when they are no longer tied to their nesting sites.
The study highlights Hartpury University’s growing contribution to internationally significant wildlife research and demonstrates the value of global collaboration in advancing understanding of biodiversity and conservation.
