m |
Marks-35234 (talk | contribs) m |
||
| Line 5: | Line 5: | ||
==Identification== | ==Identification== | ||
Common Kestrel (Eurasian Kestrel, Rock Kestrel-Africa) | Common Kestrel (Eurasian Kestrel, Rock Kestrel-Africa) | ||
| + | |||
Falco tinnunculus | Falco tinnunculus | ||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | + | '''Range:''' Europe, Asia and Africa. By far the most numerous falcon Europe and found from the British Isles and northern Norway south to the Mediterranean and the major Mediterranean islands and from Iberia east to Russia. Also found throughout Turkey and the Middle East, and breeds across Asia to the Pacific coast of the Russian Far East, China, Korea and Japan. In Africa breeds in the north from Morocco to the Nile Valley and south of the Sahara from Senegal east to Ethiopia and south to the Cape but absent from the forests of Central Africa. | |
| + | |||
| + | Northernmost populations are migratory, the remainder resident or with the young birds dispersive. Autumn passage extends from August-November and birds return to southern parts of breeding range in February and as late as June in the north. The Common Kestrel is a broad-front migrant but is seen in good numbers along the major migration routes. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Vagrants have been recorded north to Iceland, the Faroes and Svalbard and also south on the Azores. Also recorded in Sumatra and in America in Alaska, Massachusetts, New Jersey and on Martinique. | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''Habitat:''' Today a familiar bird along motorway verges and on farmland but also found in a wide range of open habitats. Requires trees, rocks or buildings for nesting and open grassland, heathland or cultivation with an abundant supply of voles and other small rodents. | ||
| − | + | '''Subspecies:''' About 11 races are recognised: nominate race tinnunculus is present in Europe and over most of northern Asia, replaced by the smaller, darker and more richly-coloured rupicolaeformis in Egypt and the Middle East. F. t. interstinctus occurs from the Himalayas to Japan and objurgatus in southern India. The heavily barred archeri is found on Socotra and in Somalia and coastal north Kenya, the dark and more chestnust rufescens in much of mainland Africa with the greyer and less sexually dimorphic rupicola in southern Africa. The small and dark canariensis is found on Madeira and the western Canary Islands and the paler, more heavily-spotted dacotiae in the eastern Canaries. Again small and dark, the race neglectus occurs in the northern Cape Verde Islands and the larger and more rufous alexandri in the south-east of the group. | |
==External Links== | ==External Links== | ||
*[http://www.birdforum.net/pp_gallery/showgallery.php?mcats=all&what=allfields&si=Falco+tinnunculus View more images of Common Kestrel in the gallery] | *[http://www.birdforum.net/pp_gallery/showgallery.php?mcats=all&what=allfields&si=Falco+tinnunculus View more images of Common Kestrel in the gallery] | ||
[[Category:Birds]] | [[Category:Birds]] | ||
Revision as of 21:09, 6 May 2007
- Falco tinnunculus
Description
Location:Staffs, UK
Identification
Common Kestrel (Eurasian Kestrel, Rock Kestrel-Africa)
Falco tinnunculus
Range: Europe, Asia and Africa. By far the most numerous falcon Europe and found from the British Isles and northern Norway south to the Mediterranean and the major Mediterranean islands and from Iberia east to Russia. Also found throughout Turkey and the Middle East, and breeds across Asia to the Pacific coast of the Russian Far East, China, Korea and Japan. In Africa breeds in the north from Morocco to the Nile Valley and south of the Sahara from Senegal east to Ethiopia and south to the Cape but absent from the forests of Central Africa.
Northernmost populations are migratory, the remainder resident or with the young birds dispersive. Autumn passage extends from August-November and birds return to southern parts of breeding range in February and as late as June in the north. The Common Kestrel is a broad-front migrant but is seen in good numbers along the major migration routes.
Vagrants have been recorded north to Iceland, the Faroes and Svalbard and also south on the Azores. Also recorded in Sumatra and in America in Alaska, Massachusetts, New Jersey and on Martinique.
Habitat: Today a familiar bird along motorway verges and on farmland but also found in a wide range of open habitats. Requires trees, rocks or buildings for nesting and open grassland, heathland or cultivation with an abundant supply of voles and other small rodents.
Subspecies: About 11 races are recognised: nominate race tinnunculus is present in Europe and over most of northern Asia, replaced by the smaller, darker and more richly-coloured rupicolaeformis in Egypt and the Middle East. F. t. interstinctus occurs from the Himalayas to Japan and objurgatus in southern India. The heavily barred archeri is found on Socotra and in Somalia and coastal north Kenya, the dark and more chestnust rufescens in much of mainland Africa with the greyer and less sexually dimorphic rupicola in southern Africa. The small and dark canariensis is found on Madeira and the western Canary Islands and the paler, more heavily-spotted dacotiae in the eastern Canaries. Again small and dark, the race neglectus occurs in the northern Cape Verde Islands and the larger and more rufous alexandri in the south-east of the group.
