Bird Album
Rock Kestrel
Falco rupicolus Daudin, 1800
183 gWeight
The rock kestrel (Falco rupicolus) is a bird of prey species belonging to the kestrel group of the falcon family Falconidae.
Busiest months: September–November · Most records: South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho
Where and when it's recorded
Rock Kestrel has been recorded at 129 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 10 countries and regions.
Records by month Southern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- West Coast NPSouth Africa756 records
- Rooi-ElsSouth Africa696 records
- Strandfontein WTPSouth Africa572 records
More places
- West Coast NP – Geelbek hides vicinitySouth Africa418 records
- Ondudu LodgeNamibia372 records
- Kirstenbosch Botanical GardenSouth Africa289 records
- Avis DamNamibia258 records
- Table Mt. NP – Cape Point SectionSouth Africa229 records
- Spitzkoppe Nature ReserveNamibia215 records
- De Hoop Nature ReserveSouth Africa183 records
Countries and regions with the most records
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 rock kestrel (Falco rupicolus) is a bird of prey species belonging to the kestrel group of the falcon family Falconidae. It was previously considered a subspecies of the common kestrel (Falco tinnunculus).
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Rock Kestrel?
The Rock Kestrel weighs around 183 g.
Where does the Rock Kestrel live?
Its breeding range: Africa: Angola to southern Tanzania south to South Africa. It is most often recorded in South Africa, Namibia and Lesotho.
When is the best time to see the Rock Kestrel?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in September, October and November (Southern Hemisphere).
What does the Rock Kestrel eat?
Main food: Vertebrate prey.
What family is the Rock Kestrel in?
It belongs to the family Caracaras, Falcons (Falconidae), order Falconiformes.
At a glance
- Weight
- 183 g
- Habitat
- Shrubland
- Diet
- Vertebrate prey
- Lifestyle
- Feeds in the air
- Migration
- Migratory
More measurements
- Wing
- 238 mm
- Tail
- 141 mm
- Bill
- 21 mm
- Tarsus
- 41 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
Africa: Angola to southern Tanzania south to South Africa
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Falconiformes
- Family
- Caracaras, Falcons Falconidae
- Genus
- Falco
Other birds in the genus Falco
Lesser KestrelFalco naumanni
Common KestrelFalco tinnunculus
Malagasy KestrelFalco newtoni
Mauritius KestrelFalco punctatus
Seychelles KestrelFalco araeus
Spotted KestrelFalco moluccensis
Nankeen KestrelFalco cenchroides
American KestrelFalco sparverius
Greater KestrelFalco rupicoloides
Fox KestrelFalco alopex
Grey KestrelFalco ardosiaceus
Dickinson's KestrelFalco dickinsoni
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Dennis Laidler. ↗
Heard it but can't see it? Mingji identifies birds by sound and photo, on your phone.