White-rumped Falcon

The plumage is white underneath and on the rump, with black ticking on the chest. The upper surface of the wings is dark grey. Sexually dimorphic, the female has a rufous mantle on her upper back and behind the head, whereas in the male these areas are grey. The tail is black, barred with white. The shape of the tail is notably rounded, with the outermost feathers an inch shorter than the middle ones. Its wings have the pointed shape typical of falcons, with the second primary feathers longest, and the first nearly equal to the third. Its legs and feet are yellow, hence the French name fauconnet à pattes jaunes (yellow-legged falconet). Base of the bill and skin surrounding the eye are yellow. Tip of the beak is grey or horn-coloured. The wings are 145 mm (5 ⁄4 in) long, and the tail is 130 mm (5 in). Modern sources give the overall length as 23–28 cm (9–11 in), weight 84–112 g (3.0–4.0 oz), and wingspan 42–49 cm (16 ⁄2–19 ⁄4 in). Its coloration is similar to the African pygmy falcon (Polihierax semitorquatus), but the white-rumped falcon is larger and proportionally longer-tailed.