A non-breeding visitor from the Palearctic, present between Oct and Mar. The most frequently encountered bird of prey during summer, it is fairly common and widespread across the Waterberg, more so than in the surrounding thorn savanna (58% on, 42% off, recorded in 63% of the Waterberg pentads); occurs solitarily except when migrating, e.g. a migrating group of 20-30 birds were seen flying together (Kloof Pass area) on 13 Oct.