Grey kestrel
| Grey kestrel | |
|---|---|
| |
| Grey kestrel at the Maasai Mara, Kenya | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Falconiformes |
| Family: | Falconidae |
| Genus: | Falco |
| Species: | F. ardosiaceus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Falco ardosiaceus Vieillot, 1823
| |
The grey kestrel (Falco ardosiaceus) is an African bird of prey belonging to the falcon family Falconidae. Its closest relatives are the banded kestrel and Dickinson's kestrel and the three are sometimes placed in the subgenus Dissodectes.
Description
It is a fairly small, stocky
Juvenile grey kestrels are browner than the adults with a greenish cere and greenish around the eye. Juvenile Dickinson's kestrels are similar but have a barred tail and a more strongly barred underwing.
The grey kestrel is generally silent outside the breeding season but has a shrill, chattering call and a rattling whistle.
Habitat and range
It inhabits
It is widespread in
Behaviour
It is a
Breeding occurs from March to June in the north of its range and from August to December in the south. Courting pairs perform mutual soaring displays. The
References
- . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
- .
- Ferguson-Lees, James & Christie, David A. (2001) Raptors of the World, Christopher Helm, London.
- Global Raptor Information Network (2007) Species account: Grey Kestrel Falco ardosiaceus. Downloaded from http://www.globalraptors.org on 2 Aug. 2007.
- Sinclair, Ian & Ryan, Peter (2003) Birds of Africa south of the Sahara, Struik, Cape Town.
- Zimmerman, Dale A.; Turner, Donald A. & Pearson, David J. (1999) Birds of Kenya & Northern Tanzania, Christopher Helm, London.
External links
