Alternative names: Madagascar Banded Kestrel, Barred Kestrel or Madagascar Barred Kestrel.
- Falco zoniventris
Identification
27-30 cm. Grey upperparts, whitish underparts, dark grey streaks on throat and upper breast, dark grey barring on lower breast and belly, yellow feet, eyes and cere, bare yellow skin around the eye, dark tail. Juvenile birds are browner than the adults with darker eyes and less bare skin around the eye.
Distribution
Taxonomy
Monotypic.
Habitat
Clearings and edges in forest and woodland.
Behaviour
The diet includes small reptiles, large insects, grasshoppers and beetles and sometimes birds. Prey is caught on the ground or snatched from a branch or tree trunk.
The nest is a simple scrape. 3 yellowish eggs are laid.
