Fox Kestrel Conservation status: Endangered'
Greater Kestrel
Gray Kestrel
Dickinson's Kestrel
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Falconiformes Family: Falconidae Genus: Falco Species: alopex Heuglin, 1861 Species: rupicoloides Smith, 1829 Species: ardosiaceus Vieillot, 1823 Species: dickinsoni Sclater, 1864

The Common Kestrel 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 is a winter visitor to East Africa from nesting in Southern Europe.

The Fox Kestrel is restricted to Equatorial Africa and is clasified endangered. It 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) is the largest kestrel species. It is a sedentary bird of South and East Africa. It lives alongside the Rock Kestrel and 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 is found in Central and Southern Africa, and Dickinson's Kestrel 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)