African Kestrels
From Biocrawler, the free encyclopedia.
| African Kestrels | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scientific classification | ||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||
| Binomial name | ||||||||||||
| Falco alopex Heuglin, 1861 Conservation status: Endangered | ||||||||||||
| Binomial name | ||||||||||||
| Falco ardosiaceus Vieillot, 1823 | ||||||||||||
| Binomial name | ||||||||||||
| Falco dickinsoni Sclater, 1823 | ||||||||||||
| Binomial name | ||||||||||||
| Falco rupicoloides Smith, 1829 |
There are four Kestrel species endemic to mainland Africa, and two also found elsewhere.
The Common Kestrel, F. tinnunculus, is found over much of mainland Africa away from desert and forest regions. Common Kestrels sometimes migrate but not over particularly long distances (eg central Europe to North Africa), and several subspecies have emerged. The South African subspecies, known as the Rock kestrel, is distinct but not sufficiently so to be classified a separate species. Two sedentary subspecies live on Cape Verde Islands, the Lesser Cape Verde Kestrel F. t. neglectus on the Northwestern islands and the Greater Cape Verde Kestrel F. t. alexandri elsewhere. There are also two sedentary subspecies on the Canary Islands, F. t. canariensis and F. t. dacotiae.
The Lesser Kestrel, F. naumanni, is a winter visitor to East Africa from nesting in Southern Europe.
The Fox Kestrel, F. alopex, is restricted to a narrow belt north of the equatorial forest and is clasified endangered. It is the largest kestrel species and generally migrates a short distance north-south. Recent research hypothesizes the Fox kestrel to be a remnant of the common ancestor of all (non-gray) kestrels.
The Greater Kestrel (or White-eyed Kestrel), F. rupicoloides, is a sedentary bird of South and East Africa. It lives alongside the Rock Kestrel, and although larger there is little to distinguish the two behaviourally.
Two kestrel species are gray. They also differ from other species in that they prefer to hunt from perch, thus favour open countryside with sporadic trees. Naturally they often use objects such as telephone poles. Both are sedentary. The Gray Kestrel, F. ardosiaceus, is found in Central and Southern Africa, and Dickinson's Kestrel, F. dickinsoni, which is paler and prefers swampy habitat, is found in Eastern and Southern Africa.
External links
- Greater Kestrel (http://www.mangoverde.com/birdsound/picpages/pic32-33-4.html)
- Gray Kestrel (http://www.mangoverde.com/birdsound/picpages/pic32-36-1.html)
- Dickinson's Kestrel (http://members.lycos.nl/wrn/worldrap/dickinsonkstrl.htm)
