African Kestrels
Birds of Prey ... The Sport of Falconry
There are four kestrel species endemic to mainland Africa, and two also found elsewhere.
The Common Kestrel, Falco tinnunculus, is found over much of mainland Africa away from desert and forest regions. Common Kestrels sometimes migrate but not over particularly long distances (e.g. central Europe to North Africa), and several subspecies have emerged. The South African subspecies, known as the Rock Kestrel F. t. rupicolus, is well distinct and might be a separate species (Groombridge et al. 2002). Two sedentary subspecies live on Cape Verde Islands, the Lesser Cape Verde Kestrel, F. t. neglectus, on the north-western 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 Fox Kestrel, Falco alopex, is restricted to a narrow belt north of the equatorial forest and is classified endangered. It is the largest kestrel species and generally migrates a short distance north-south. Recent research hypothesizes the Fox Kestrel to be a basal lineage diverging from the common ancestor of all (non-gray) kestrels, with the probable exception of the American species.
The Greater Kestrel (or White-eyed Kestrel), Falco rupicoloides, is a sedentary bird of South and East Africa. It lives alongside the Rock Kestrel, and although larger there is little to distinguish the two behaviourally. It more similar in appearance to the Fox Kestrel however, differing in less reddish hue, a more spotted pattern, and most significantly in tail coloration, which is nearly pure fox red in the Fox, and dark gray with black bands in the Greater Kestrel. Its ancestors diverged from the Common-western Indian Ocean kestrels' lineage some time about 4-2 mya during the Piacenzian or early Gelasian (Pliocene).
Two kestrel species are gray. They also differ from other species in that they prefer to hunt from a perch, thus favouring open countryside with sporadic trees. Naturally they often use objects such as telephone poles. Both are sedentary. The Gray Kestrel, Falco ardosiaceus, is found in Central and Southern Africa, and Dickinson's Kestrel, Falco dickinsoni, which is paler and prefers swampy habitat, is found in Eastern and Southern Africa. They are grey species, appearing closer in color and pattern to the Banded Kestrel F. zoniventris of Madagascar.
The Lesser Kestrel, Falco naumanni, is a winter visitor to East Africa from nesting sites in Southern Europe.
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