A Bat Falcon Is Spotted In The United States For The First Time Ever

A Bat Falcon has been spotted in the United States, and when I first heard the news, for a split second, I was terrified.

I’ve had bats in my room THREE times, and those little suckers scare the devil out of me.

When I heard “Bat Falcon,” I immediately thought of giant bats that resemble falcons — or maybe falcons with bat wings.

Thank goodness, that’s absolutely nothing close to why these beautiful birds are called Bat Falcons.

Native to tropical Mexico, Central America, South America, and Trinidad, these birds of prey hunt and feed on the bats that fly around at night.

Anything that EATS bats might be my new favorite animal.

The bird was observed in December at the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge in South Texas.

NBC

The Bat Falcon Was Seen At The Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge In South Texas

Now, the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge is located along the banks of the Rio Grande, just South of Alamo, in the Lower Rio Grande Valley.

It just so happens that the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge was established in the 1943 to help and protect migratory birds.

So, this bird successfully crossed the border from Mexico, and landed itself on U.S. territory. Not only did it land in the U.S., but it just happened to rest at a migratory bird sanctuary!

How amazing is that?!?

Everyone that can catch a glimpse is looking at this bat falcon right now. This is the first recorded time that a bat falcon has ever been seen in the U.S.!

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services

Nobody at the refuge has been able to get close enough to inspect the bird, but they have some ideas about the gender of the bat falcon.

The Bat Falcon at the refuge is thought to be a “juvenile for its buff-cinammon throat and chrest bars, judging by the thickness of the tarsus and beak it seem like a male

Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge