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How did a rare falcon end up so far away from home?

George KingSuffolk
Harry Read A close-up head-on image of a red-footed falcon. It has piercing black eyes, a yellow beak, and light brown and white feathers. Harry Read
The face of a red-footed falcon that has been papped in Lowestoft, Suffolk

Twitchers armed with cameras were in their element this week after a rare bird of prey landed in Lowestoft - not far from the aptly titled Gull Wing Bridge.

The red-footed falcon's arrival has sparked excitement, drawing responses such as "oh wow" and heart-eye emojis galore on social media, but is its cameo in Suffolk a cause for concern?

The vulnerable species, which feeds on insects, amphibians, reptiles, mammals and birds, is native to Eastern Europe and Central Asia and spends its winters in Africa.

How did it end up so far from home? And will it be able to get back on track?

Harry Read A red-footed falcon perched on a wooden fence. It has piercing black eyes, a yellow beak, and light brown and white feathers. Harry Read
The population of red-footed falcons is decreasing due to habitat loss and hunting

Harry Read, who lives in Bungay and is an ornithologist and ecologist, said "a few" red-footed falcons were spotted in the UK every year but "it is a rarity".

He said the bird – spotted near the Dragonfly mural on Rotterdam Road – was likely to have hatched this year in Eastern Europe and would be on its way to Namibia or Zambia.

"It has been blown over by easterly winds, which have forced it into East Anglia and it has turned up in Lowestoft absolutely exhausted," he said.

"It is an incredibly exciting species to see and the fact it was in a busy, built-up area right next to a roundabout made it feel even more exciting, albeit a bit weird.

"It was completely okay with people being close to it and it was feeding up on insects on the ground – it was really quite special to see."

Harry Read A red-footed falcon perched on a wooden fence. It has piercing black eyes, a yellow beak, and light brown and white feathers. Harry Read
The red-footed falcon which landed in Lowestoft was said to be unfazed by the presence of humans
Supplied A head and shoulders image of a man wearing a yellow jacket while standing in what appears to be some arctic location. Supplied
Wildlife enthusiast and photographer Harry Read enjoyed seeing the bird

The falcons, of which there are up to 400,000 globally, are rarely seen in the UK. They often migrate in flocks and roost together during migration and wintering season.

But according to Read, this particular bird is alone without its parents and "hundreds of miles" off course, so will need to build its strength before its journey.

"It's got a hell of a long way to go, but it was feeding quite well and looked very agile and pretty healthy, but it could be exhausted," he added.

"It needs to be left alone in peace to hunt and feed so it can build up fat reserves to get it back to where it needs to be and find its own way there, which is a concern.

"It'll be a much greater challenge than if it hadn't have been blown off course, but there is a good chance it can make it - it is not an impossibility."

Supplied A head and shoulders image of a man wearing a cream coloured shirt with some sort of black camera strap around his neck. He is smiling and looking into the camera. Behind him is what looks to be the coastline, and in the distance, is the sea and a blue but cloudy sky. Supplied
Jon Carter is from the British Trust for Ornithology, a charity which strives to "secure the future for birds and nature"

Jon Carter, from British Trust for Ornithology, in Thetford, Norfolk, is also optimistic and eager to remain positive, but acknowledges survival is not guaranteed.

"Sadly, these off-course individuals will often perish, but others will survive just fine," said Carter, who like Read, believes strong winds played their part in the bird's detour.

"But vagrancy in birds is a reasonably regular occurrence, especially in young birds that haven't quite figured things out, so it's not so much a concern.

"It could quite easily head south and complete its journey - it has plenty of time to do that - hopefully it can rest and refuel before reorienting and moving on."

Stuart Walker A red-footed falcon soaring through a blue but cloudy sky.Stuart Walker
Stuart Walker described this image he took of the red-footed falcon as being his best ever
Stuart Walker A selfie image of a man and a woman, who is wearing glasses. They appear to be standing on grass in front of a tree.Stuart Walker
Stuart Walker, who likes to take photos of wildlife on his walks, with his wife, Angela

Whether the friendly falcon makes it to its destination remains to be seen, but, if nothing else, its layover in Lowestoft has certainly brought a smile to a flock of faces.

"I saw the falcon on the slip road coming off the Gull Wing Bridge, so decided to take a photo, but I'd never heard of it before," said Stuart Walker, 51.

"I thought it was a sparrowhawk but then I saw a lot of comments on Facebook saying it was a rare thing, so I posted [my photo] on the site to see if it was the same.

"It did not seem to be afraid of us and it was amazing to see it up close - this is probably the best photo I've taken, and it was just on an iPhone."

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