Rock Kestrel
Falco rupicolus
Typical kestrel with a rufous back and underparts, barred tail, and a dark “moustache” mark on the face. Found in a wide variety of open habitats, especially in rocky areas. Spends much of its time on the wing, often hovering. Call is a high, repeated “kreek”. Very similar to Eurasian Kestrel, but little overlap in range, and Rock Kestrel shows paler underwings. Similar to Lesser Kestrel but slightly larger. Male Rock Kestrel also separated by its lack of pale gray on the top of the wing. Female Rock Kestrel has darker rufous underparts.
Identification
A slender, medium-sized kestrel, between 30 and 33 centimeters tall. Adult male kestrels weigh between 183g and 254g, while females weigh between 190g and 280g.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Falco rupicolus
- Authority
- Daudin, 1800
- Order
- Falconiformes
- Family
- Falconidae
- Genus
- Falco
Range and habitat
The species occurs from Angola, south through the Democratic Republic of Congo as well as Tanzania, further south to South Africa, and in most of the places between. Noticeable places of scarcity include north and north east Namibia, Botswana, south Mozambique and tropical Lowveld, while in Zimbabwe it is restricted to high-lying central and eastern regions. The kestrel is usually associated with arid areas, but may also be found in open and/or semi-arid areas.
Behavior
Rock kestrels feed on a wide variety of organisms. They eat primarily invertebrates, but have been known to consume rodents, reptiles and birds.<p>Two primary forms of hunting are employed: hover hunting and perch hunting. Hover hunting describes the method whereby the kestrel remains stationary in the air with minimal wing flapping by utilizing updrafts. Hover hunting generally happens at medium to high windspeeds. It is usually small prey (such as insects) which are caught via this method, and are subsequently eaten during flight. Perch hunting is when the kestrel utilizes either natural (for instance cliffs and trees) or artificial (for instance electricity pylons and telephone poles) perches to scan the surrounding area for prey. Rock kestrels have been observed following baboons through grasslands and catching the insect species flushed out. There are also reports of rock kestrels robbing nests for young birds and eating termites on the floor.<p>Their call is a harsh chay-chay-chay, especially when scaring off intruders, unlike the common kestrel's kee-kee-kee.<p>Rock kestrels usually nest in either old stick nests or on cliffs, where they may make a depression in the sand. They have also been observed utilizing buildings, but this appears to be unusual. Clutch sizes vary between 1 and 6 eggs. The female incubates the eggs full-time while the male sources food. After 26 to 32 days the chicks hatch. Chicks will remain in the nest for a further 31 to 39 days post hatching. Thereafter they leave the nest, but often remain in the vicinity for several weeks. Breeding density varies across habitats however a study in Namibia noted values of between 19.1 and 28.9 pairs per 100 square kilometers.
Conservation
The rock kestrel is common in many protected areas, and as a result is not threatened.
Photos
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Usambara Greenbul
Phyllastrephus albigula
A very small, warbler-like greenbul with an olive-green back, pale underparts, an olive-washed gray cap and nape, and a yellow or orange eye. Found in montane forest at middle elevations. Often joins mixed-species flocks. Very similar in appearance to Tiny Greenbul, but found at higher elevations and darker overall, with an olive-green wash to the crown and nape. Similar in overall coloration to Yellow-streaked Greenbul, but much smaller, with a pale eye. Voice apparently very similar to Tiny Greenbul’s. The call is a rough chattering trill that is often mixed with the song: an accelerating, syncopated series of low nasal notes.
Principe Seedeater
Crithagra rufobrunnea
An incredibly dowdy small seedeater with a pink-horn bill and a pale throat. On São Tomé its color is gray-brown and on Príncipe more buffy-cinnamon. On São Tomé it is a common resident in most habitats from primary forest to suburban gardens up to 1500 meters of elevation; on Príncipe it is uncommon and more restricted to forest. Song is variable, but mostly a strident, rapidly delivered series of high-pitched notes “tseet-teet-teet-teet-tseeu-tseeu-tseeu” or similar; call is a slurred “tshweet.” The much larger Sao Tome Grosbeak is chestnut in color and rare in remote forest on São Tomé; Yellow-fronted Canary is much brighter.
Little Crake
Zapornia parva
Tiny, with long wings and a short greenish bill with a small red base. Face and underparts are plain slaty gray on male, and buffy to whitish on female and juvenile. Adults have plain flanks and boldly barred undertail coverts. Juvenile has barred flanks; compare to similar Baillon’s Crake. Breeds in freshwater wetlands with extensive emergent vegetation, and spends the non-breeding season in a wide range of marshy habitats. Often favors deeper-water aquatic plant stands than other rails and crakes, clambering about nimbly amongst the vegetation. Usually retiring and rarely seen, but can be confiding. Males give a long song that starts with a series of “qwek” notes that eventually accelerates and tapers off; females respond with a descending trill with a similar quality.
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