📸 PhotoPhoto: Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons Source
Amur Falcon
Falco amurensis (Amur Falcon · アカアシチョウゲンボウ)
💡 Everyday Comparisons for Size, Mass & Speed
- 💡 Its body length of 33 cm is slightly longer than the long side of an A4 sheet of paper (about 30 cm) (Comparison).
- 💡 This bird has been observed passing through places such as the Imjingang River estuary and west coast reclaimed lands and tidal flats (National List of Species of Korea domestic distribution).
- 💡 It preys on insects and mice around farmland and reclaimed land (National List of Species of Korea).
Reference standards: coach bus ~12 m, mid-size car ~4.9 m, compact car ~1 t, basketball hoop 3.05 m, credit card 8.56 cm.
📖 1. Overview
The Amur Falcon is a small bird of prey living in northeastern China, the Amur and Ussuri regions, Mongolia, and northern Siberia. In Korea, it is a very rare passage migrant passing through the central and northern regions.
🦴 2. Anatomy & Morphology
Its body length is 29–33 cm. The male is dark gray overall with a reddish lower belly and undertail coverts, and an orange cere and legs. The female has gray upperparts, white cheeks, and white underparts densely marked with black.
🔍 3. Ecology & Behavior
It preys on insects, small mammals, birds, frogs, and lizards, and hovers in place like the Common Kestrel. It mainly catches insects and mice on the ground.
🇰🇷 4. Connection to Korea
It has been confirmed in reclaimed lands and tidal flats along the west coast of Korea, including the Imjingang River estuary and Haenam in Jeollanam-do.
📚 Sources & References
- • IUCN Red List LC (2021) — https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22696437/205646027
- • IUCN Red List category LC — latest assessment at iucnredlist.org
- • doi.org — avilist.v2026
- • iucnredlist.org — 205646027
- • 국가생물종목록(국립생물자원관) ktsn 120000001573 — https://species.nibr.go.kr/home/mainHome.do?cont_link=009&subMenu=009002&contCd=009002&ktsn=120000001573
- • wikidata.org — Q481742
- • commons.wikimedia.org — File:Amur Falcon (Falco amurensis) male (16794543415).jpg
- • species.nibr.go.kr — mainHome.do
- • Silhouette: PhyloPic — Shyamal · CC BY 3.0 (Congeneric silhouette — Falco)
Recorded dimensions are widely cited representative estimates from public literature and may vary by study or specimen.