Scientific name: Elanus caeruleus
Adults are a very pale grey with a white head and white underparts. The leading edge of the inner wing is black. When perched, this gives them their prominent black "shoulders". They have red eyes, with a black 'comma' that extends behind the eyes. They have a squared tail and a streamlined aerodynamic body. The bill is short with a sharp, hooked tip to the upper mandible. Their nostrils and the cere are bright yellow and the bill is black. The legs and feet are also yellow, and the feet have three toes facing forwards and one toe facing backwards.[11] The sexes are similar, with females only just larger than males, although they can be up to 15% heavier.
Occurs in India, South-East Asia, south-western Europe and across sub-Saharan Africa, from southern Mauritania to Eritrea south to southern Africa. Here it is very common across the region, especially in South Africa, north-eastern Zimbabwe and central Botswana. It occurs in most habitats, but generally prefers grassland, transformed fynbos and cultivated land. It is largely absent from closed woodland, forest and desert.
It mainly eats rodents, often hunting by hovering in the air, searching for prey. Once it has an animal singled out, it drops to the ground to grab its prey. It also hunts from a perch, flying from one position to another before diving to the ground. Hover-hunting is less energy efficient but slightly more successful than hunting from a perch, also allowing it to forage in areas without perches.
