Mauritius Kestrel (Falco punctatus)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Mauritius Kestrel

Falco punctatus Temminck, 1821

167 gWeight

The Mauritius kestrel (Falco punctatus) is a bird of prey from the family Falconidae endemic to the forests of Mauritius, where it is restricted to the southwestern plateau's forests, cliffs, and ravines.

Busiest months: October–November · Most records: Mauritius

Endangered

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: October–November · Most records: Mauritius

Mauritius Kestrel has been recorded at 10 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 1 country or region.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Black River Gorges NPMauritius72 records
  2. Vallée de FerneyMauritius68 records
  3. ChamarelMauritius21 records
More places
  1. Black River Gorges NP – Gorges ViewpointMauritius17 records
  2. Seven Coloured EarthMauritius13 records
  3. Black River Gorge NP – Alexandra FallsMauritius7 records
  4. Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Botanical GardenMauritius2 records
  5. Flic en FlacMauritius2 records
  6. Rivulet Terre Rouge Bird SanctuaryMauritius2 records
  7. Ile aux Aigrettes Nature ReserveMauritius2 records

Countries and regions with the most records

Mauritius

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The Mauritius kestrel (Falco punctatus) is a bird of prey from the family Falconidae endemic to the forests of Mauritius, where it is restricted to the southwestern plateau's forests, cliffs, and ravines. It is the most distinct of the Indian Ocean kestrels. It colonized its island home to evolve into a distinct species probably during the Gelasian (Late Pliocene).

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Mauritius Kestrel?

The Mauritius Kestrel weighs around 167 g.

Where does the Mauritius Kestrel live?

Its breeding range: Indian Ocean: Mauritius (central Mascarenes). It is most often recorded in Mauritius.

When is the best time to see the Mauritius Kestrel?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in October and November (Southern Hemisphere).

Is the Mauritius Kestrel endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Mauritius Kestrel as Endangered.

What does the Mauritius Kestrel eat?

Main food: Vertebrate prey.

What family is the Mauritius Kestrel in?

It belongs to the family Caracaras, Falcons (Falconidae), order Falconiformes.

At a glance

Weight
167 g
Habitat
Forest
Diet
Vertebrate prey
Lifestyle
Varied
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Endangered
More measurements
Wing
179 mm
Tail
134 mm
Bill
20 mm
Tarsus
39 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Indian Ocean: Mauritius (central Mascarenes)

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Caracaras, Falcons Falconidae
Genus
Falco

Other birds in the genus Falco

Lesser KestrelLesser KestrelFalco naumanniCommon KestrelCommon KestrelFalco tinnunculusRock KestrelRock KestrelFalco rupicolusMalagasy KestrelMalagasy KestrelFalco newtoniSeychelles KestrelSeychelles KestrelFalco araeusSpotted KestrelSpotted KestrelFalco moluccensisNankeen KestrelNankeen KestrelFalco cenchroidesAmerican KestrelAmerican KestrelFalco sparveriusGreater KestrelGreater KestrelFalco rupicoloidesFox KestrelFox KestrelFalco alopexGrey KestrelGrey KestrelFalco ardosiaceusDickinson's KestrelDickinson's KestrelFalco dickinsoni
Mauritius Kestrel

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by antoine_baglan. ↗

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