Nankeen kestrel

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Nankeen kestrel
In flight
Female

Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Falconiformes
Family: Falconidae
Genus: Falco
Species:
F. cenchroides
Binomial name
Falco cenchroides

The nankeen kestrel (Falco cenchroides), also known as the Australian kestrel, is a raptor native to Australia and New Guinea. It is one of the smallest falcons, and unlike many, does not rely on speed to catch its prey. Instead, it simply perches in an exposed position, but it also has a distinctive technique of hovering over crop and grasslands.

Taxonomy

The nankeen kestrel is a species of the genus Falco, allied to a subgenus Tinnunculus. They were first described by

Alexander Milligan was published in Emu in 1904; and that author's name appearing in the assignment to a subspecies, Cerchneis cenchroides milligani, published by Gregory Mathews in 1912.[2]

The generic name is Late Latin falco 'falcon' (from falx falcis, 'sickle') and the specific epithet is derived from Ancient Greek kenkhris 'kestrel' and -oides 'resembling'. [3]

The common names Mosquito Hawk, Kestrel, Windhover, Hoverer are cited in the Australian Faunal Directory.[2][4] Its common descriptor refers to the colour of nankeen cloth, originally a yellowish cotton from Nankeen or Nanking (modern Nanjing), China.[5]

This bird is thought to be a very close relative of the

Middle Pleistocene — less than 1 million years ago — and adapting to local conditions.[6]

Two subspecies are recognised:

Snow Mountains of west central New Guinea.[7]

Description

With kill in talons, Rottnest Island, Western Australia

The nankeen kestrel is a small, slim falcon 28 to 35 cm (11 to 14 in) long with a wingspan of 66 to 78 cm (26 to 31 in).

Bergmann's Rule).[citation needed
]

Distribution and habitat

A very common and easily seen raptor, the nankeen kestrel is found in Australia, New Guinea, and nearby islands, and is an irregular visitor to New Zealand. It occupies any type of land that is not too densely vegetated, but in particular temperate grasslands and open woodlands. In the tropical north and the sandy deserts of the west, it has a patchy and seasonal distribution. It can be seen in Western Australia on coastal cliffs and windy conditions. Also seen on phone lines and power lines.

Like many Australian birds, it has no clear migratory pattern: in the grasslands of the south, established pairs are resident year-round, but many other birds migrate north during the austral winter, or roam the arid interior following food supplies. Typically seen singly or in pairs, they can aggregate into loose flocks of up to 30 when conditions are right. Pairs are typically monogamous and may or may not disperse to different areas during the non-breeding season. The nest is any convenient structure: a tree hollow, cliff ledge or disused corvid's nest, for example, and is not modified or added to by the kestrels.

Feeding

About to pounce

Diet is varied, with a large number of insects, but also small birds and

mice
. Nankeen kestrels are adaptable and hunt in a number of different ways: of these, simply perching in an exposed position (such as on a dead tree or a telephone pole) and watching for prey is the most common, but it is their habit of hovering motionless over crop and grasslands that is most distinctive.

Breeding

Three to seven eggs are laid in late winter (usually about four) and incubated by the female alone. Hatching takes place after 26 to 28 days, and the male brings food while the female continues to incubate until the young are close to fledging, at which time the female leaves the nest to hunt for them too. Multiple broods are raised in good seasons.

References

Further reading

External links