Alternative name: Nankeen Kestrel
- Falco cenchroides
Identification
31cm (Male) to 35 cm (female). Male has grey head and tail, female pale rufous head and paler rufous tail. Rufous or brown above, white or off-white below, black tail tip. Female has blackspot in each feather.
Distribution
Australia, New Guinea, and nearby islands.
Taxonomy
Subspecies[1]
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.
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
- 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.
- Wikipedia
- The Slater Field Guide to Australian Birds
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Nankeen Kestrel. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 13 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Nankeen_Kestrel