Red-footed Falcons breed in England?

[Archie Archer]

An intriguing pager message came through today of 2 x juvenile Red-footed Falcons on Tuesday 2/09/08 at Beaulieu Road Station, New Forest, Hampshire. Were the rumours well founded? Has this species bred in Britain during the pretty good Spring influx year of 2008?

[marklhawkes]

Even if they had bred, they would probably have dispersed from their breeding area by now. Juvenile RFF is an extreme rarity in UK - I remember reading an article by Keith Vinicombe (well, I think it was he who wrote it!) and it concluded that only c.10 records in the UK should be considered acceptable - making them almost as rare as juvenile Pallid Harriers. Without some more info on the this recent sighting, I would be a little sceptical....

[Steve Keen]

Knowing what a hot-bed of suppression Hants is (and I say that as a Hants resident) I'm surprised any news got out, sceptical or otherwise. There is of course often a tendency to use the term "juvenile" for any non-adult plumage, so they may just be first- or second-summers.

[Harry Hussey]

There is of course often a tendency to use the term "juvenile" for any non-adult plumage, so they may just be first- or second-summers.

...or Hobbies? ;)

[Joe stockwell]

im not sure if someone who goes birding alot in hants would have mentioned this there was a huge amount hobbys down there in the summer and unless they had faatastic views of theese birds i would be a little dubious

[john c]

I think Steve's point is a very good one.

There have been recurrent rumours for years that Red-foot have/are breeding in the New Forest. I suspect that these largely stem from the appearance of five birds in the Beaulieu Road Station area way back in 1959! In fact I've been told as a matter of absolute fact that they bred regularly in the 1960s. Since this was when I (and several friends) regularly birded the area and my interlocutor didn't my scepticism about this matter is pretty high! Personally, whilst I couldn't wholly discount the possibility of RF Falcon breeding in the New Forest as a "one off" at some point, I think such tales more 'chinese whisper' than anything else. My cynicism extends to the current rumours,

John