Bat falcons, known for their speed and agility, are fascinating raptors that inhabit tropical rainforest edges and semi-arid woodlands.

These birds prefer open woodland and forest clearings and are often found in vegetation at the edges of watercourses, along streams and rivers, and never far from wet forest edges.

They often stand on tall trees with favourable views of the forest edge and make fast diagonal power dives from towering heights to attack their prey on the surface of ground vegetation or bodies of water in suburban areas.

Here are some interesting facts about bat falcons.

1. Behaviour

Bat falcons are among the fastest flying birds on earth, with strong, shallow wing beats that make them powerful fliers.

As solitary raptors, they are mostly seen alone, except during the breeding season. The species spends most of its time hunting, swooping down from its perch to take prey or making aerial attacks.

They are most active at dawn and dusk when the bats leave their caves and return to them.

Bat falcons can even be found on buildings in small villages, but they show a clear preference for foraging in the forest and are usually caught at dawn or dusk when returning to or leaving their roosts.

2. Communication

Bat-eating falcons communicate mainly through hearing and sight.

During the breeding season, they can often be heard screaming with their respective mates. The call is a shrill screech that sounds like "ke-ke-ke".

Male bat-eating falcons tend to have a higher scream than females. Bat-eating falcons can use visual, tactile, auditory and chemical sensory channels to good effect.

3. Eating habits

Their eating habits vary seasonally, with summer and winter diets being slightly different. In summer, bat-eating falcons tend to prey on smaller birds, while in winter they mainly eat large insects. This seasonal variation in diet is to get the most out of the prey as possible.

Bat-eating falcons are particularly fond of feeding on bats, with females preferring bats and birds such as hummingbirds, rainbows and swallows as their prey.

Males, on the other hand, prefer to feed on larger insects such as moths, dragonflies, large grasshoppers, Homoptera (cicadas) and Hymenoptera (bees).

Bat-eating falcons tend to eat a wide variety of food sources in addition to birds, including snakes, lizards, frogs and mice.

Bat falcons are incredible raptors that have adapted to their environment and have unique hunting behaviours.

They are solitary and efficient hunters that mainly hunt at dawn and dusk when their prey is most active.

Their communication is mainly through hearing and sight, and their diet varies seasonally to maximize their food sources.

They are particularly fond of feeding on bats, making them an important predator in the ecosystem.