From Opus

Alternative name: Nankeen Kestrel

Male Australian Kestrel
Photo by Neil
Sydney, Australia

Falco cenchroides

Identification

31cm (Male) to 35 cm (female).
Rufous or brown above, white or off-white below, black tail tip
Male: grey head and tail
Female: pale rufous head and paler rufous tail and has blackspot in each feather.

Distribution

Australia, New Guinea, and nearby islands.

Taxonomy

Subspecies^[1]

Female
Photo by davidfree
Cottesloe, Western Australia, July 2008

There are 2 subspecies;

• F. c. cenchroides:

• Australian region; winters New Guinea to Java and Moluccas

• F. c. baru:

• Montane forests of west-central New Guinea

Habitat

Temperate grasslands and open woodlands, coastal cliffs and dunes, towns and cities. Often seen on telegraph poles or dead trees. Possibly the most widely recorded bird in Australia

Behaviour

Diet

The diet includes insects, small birds and reptiles and mice.

Photo by jimmclean
Royal National Park, New South Wales, Australia, March 2008

Breeding

They nest in a tree hollow, cliff ledge or disused corvid's nest; 3-7 eggs are laid and are incubated by the female for 26 to 28 days. The male brings food.

References

1. Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
2. Wikipedia
3. The Slater Field Guide to Australian Birds

• List of references

External Links