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The breeding season varies between different regions. In the south it lasts from July to April with a peak between
September and December. Breeding takes place in all months in Kenya and Tanzania but is concentrated between April and July. The season lasts from April to August in Somalia.
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of the adult is mainly pale rufous, both above and below. The back, upperwing and flanks are barred with black. The breast has dark streaks and the head is streaked but has no malar stripe unlike the
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The total range covers about 3.5 million km. The population is stable and is likely to be in the order of 100,000 to 200,000 pairs. Most birds are sedentary but some are nomadic or dispersive.
495:. It mainly catches prey on the ground. It is attracted to fires where it catches insects and other prey as they flee from the flames. Excess food may be cached underneath vegetation or stones.
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389:. It prefers areas where the ground cover is lower than 50 cm. It is found from sea-level up to 2150 metres, particularly between 800 and 1800 metres.
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The greater kestrel usually hunts from an exposed perch such as a tree or rock. It also hovers like several other kestrels. It feeds mainly on
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332:. The rump and tail are grey with black bars; the tail has a white tip. In flight, the whitish underwing contrasts with the darker body. The
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It is fairly common and widespread in the southern parts of its range but is scarce and patchily distributed further north. The form
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of the eye is whitish, distinguishing the bird from any similar species. The bill is mainly blue-grey and the feet and
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531:. A typical site is between 2 and 20 metres above the ground in a tree or sometimes on a telegraph pole or
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The bird is 29–37 cm (11–15 in) long with a wingspan of 68–84 cm (27–33 in) The southern
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after 30 to 34 days and remain dependent on their parents for at least 26 days longer.
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is smaller, weighing about 165–252gr (.364–.556 lb). The northern subspecies
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birds have rufous instead of grey on the tail, streaked flanks and a dark eye.
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Zimmerman, Dale A.; Turner, Donald A. & Pearson, David J. (1999)
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The species is usually silent but has a shrill, repeated call.
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for 22 to 23 days, mainly by the female. The young birds
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are laid with three or four being most common. They are
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Species account: White-eyed
Kestrel Falco rupicoloides.
608:
Ferguson-Lees, James & Christie, David A. (2001)
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apart from the wetter regions of the south and east.
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weighs about 181–334gr (.400–.736 lb). The form
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and is found in open country in southern and eastern
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Species text in The Atlas of
Southern African Birds
589:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22696398A93559628.en
523:of another bird for breeding, such as that of a
373:It occurs in open, arid areas where it inhabits
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362:is also small and is paler than the others.
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615:Global Raptor Information Network (2007)
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69:Learn how and when to remove this message
32:This article includes a list of general
635:Sinclair, Ian & Ryan, Peter (2003)
556:
644:Birds of Kenya & Northern Tanzania
7:
960:Birds of prey of Sub-Saharan Africa
950:IUCN Red List least concern species
637:Birds of Africa south of the Sahara
575:IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
38:it lacks sufficient corresponding
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23:
564:BirdLife International (2016).
385:. It is often associated with
1:
519:Greater kestrels use the old
630:http://www.globalraptors.org
646:, Christopher Helm, London.
612:, Christopher Helm, London.
487:and sometimes small birds,
292:. It is one of the largest
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132:Scientific classification
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970:Birds of Southern Africa
582:: e.T22696398A93559628.
975:Birds described in 1829
509:Serengeti National Park
53:more precise citations.
512:
448:and probably northern
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896:Paleobiology Database
506:
311:
965:Birds of East Africa
639:, Struik, Cape Town.
610:Raptors of the World
314:Etosha National Park
223:F. rupicoloides
102:Conservation status
927:Falco-rupicoloides
735:falco-rupicoloides
722:Falco_rupicoloides
708:Falco rupicoloides
678:Falco rupicoloides
656:Greater kestrel -
623:2014-04-22 at the
568:Falco rupicoloides
513:
394:F. r. rupicoloides
352:F. r. rupicoloides
318:
278:white-eyed kestrel
273:Falco rupicoloides
241:Falco rupicoloides
937:
936:
670:Taxon identifiers
369:Habitat and range
284:belonging to the
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535:. Two to seven
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416:and in much of
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268:greater kestrel
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428:and northern
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422:F. r. arthuri
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232:Binomial name
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189:Falconiformes
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595:25 September
593:. Retrieved
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499:Reproduction
469:grasshoppers
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434:F. r. fieldi
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424:is found in
421:
418:South Africa
393:
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360:F. r. fieldi
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340:are yellow.
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282:bird of prey
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818:iNaturalist
702:Wikispecies
444:, northern
408:, parts of
383:semi-desert
304:Description
51:introducing
944:Categories
922:Xeno-canto
551:References
511:, Tanzania
507:Juvenile,
481:solifugids
436:occurs in
396:breeds in
349:subspecies
290:Falconidae
199:Falconidae
34:references
541:incubated
529:pied crow
525:Cape crow
375:grassland
316:, Namibia
217:Species:
155:Kingdom:
149:Eukaryota
59:July 2023
909:Species+
862:22696398
836:11004417
761:22696398
756:BirdLife
687:Wikidata
621:Archived
473:termites
467:such as
438:Ethiopia
430:Tanzania
406:Zimbabwe
402:Botswana
379:savannas
342:Juvenile
294:kestrels
248:Smith, A
195:Family:
169:Chordata
165:Phylum:
159:Animalia
145:Domain:
122:IUCN 3.1
810:2481010
797:grekes1
771:grekes1
743:Avibase
693:Q748362
489:mammals
485:lizards
477:beetles
459:Feeding
446:Somalia
442:Eritrea
398:Namibia
387:acacias
322:plumage
288:family
205:Genus:
185:Order:
175:Class:
120: (
47:improve
901:400641
875:148597
849:175652
730:ARKive
545:fledge
493:snakes
432:while
414:Zambia
410:Angola
326:common
298:Africa
286:falcon
250:, 1829
36:, but
888:73358
831:IRMNG
792:eBird
784:3DTGP
768:BOW:
533:pylon
450:Kenya
426:Kenya
280:is a
276:) or
210:Falco
914:6529
870:NCBI
857:IUCN
844:ITIS
823:4689
805:GBIF
597:2021
580:2016
537:eggs
521:nest
491:and
479:and
412:and
381:and
338:cere
334:iris
328:and
320:The
266:The
179:Aves
779:CoL
717:ADW
584:doi
527:or
312:At
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57:(
43:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
