The Sooty Falcon is part of the order Falconiformes, family Falconidae and genus Falco.

Eleonora's falcon is sometimes considered its closest relative, but while they certainly belong to the same clade, they do not seem to be sister species.

The adults are blue-grey, and lack the black underwing coverts of the Eleonora's falcon.

[6] This species breeds on islands and coastal or desert cliffs from Libya to Pakistan).

Increasingly regular sightings and a lack of historical records suggests that the wintering range has expanded south in recent decades.

The sooty falcon eats mainly birds (e.g. Sandgrouse), but it will take large insects, such as dragonflies, which are transferred from talons to beak and eaten in flight.

These hunting flocks tend to perch on trees and feed on swarming insects.

Individuals circle areas at great heights in hopes of spotting a prey item.

Nests are scraped into soft limestone, chalk or sandstone cliffs, and face away from the sun to provide shelter from its rays.

[6] Birds begin to display and mate during April and May, with eggs being laid by July-August.

[9] Hence, mitigating human disturbances and protecting natural habitats is of critical conservation concern to the Sooty Falcon.