Wildlifeof Thailand
Lesser Kestrel
Falconidae
Photo: (c) egorbirder, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY 4.0 (May be cropped or resized)
Falco naumanni
Basic stats
Diet
Invertebrates
Habitat
Grassland; nests colonially on buildings, cliffs or in tree holes
Range
Breeds from the Mediterranean across Afghanistan and Central Asia to China and Mongolia; winters in Africa and Pakistan
Clutch size
Up to 3–6 eggs
Size
27–33cm
Wingspan
63–72cm
The lesser kestrel is a small falcon, 27–33 cm long with a wingspan of 63–72 cm. It looks much like the larger common kestrel but has proportionally shorter wings and tail. The male has a grey head and tail, but lacks the dark spotting on the back and the black malar stripe, and has grey patches in the wings. The call is a diagnostic harsh chay-chay-chay, unlike the common kestrel's kee-kee-kee, which with structure is a better guide than plumage (Wikipedia, general species account).
It is a summer migrant, breeding from the Mediterranean across Afghanistan and Central Asia to China and Mongolia, and wintering in Africa and Pakistan. It nests colonially on buildings, cliffs or in tree holes, building no nest structure, and lays three to six eggs. It is declining in its European range (Wikipedia, general species account).
Quick answers
- What does the Lesser Kestrel eat?
- Invertebrates
- What habitat does the Lesser Kestrel live in?
- Grassland; nests colonially on buildings, cliffs or in tree holes
- Where is the Lesser Kestrel found?
- Breeds from the Mediterranean across Afghanistan and Central Asia to China and Mongolia; winters in Africa and Pakistan
- How many eggs does the Lesser Kestrel lay?
- Up to 3–6 eggs
- How big is the Lesser Kestrel?
- 27–33cm
- What is the wingspan of the Lesser Kestrel?
- 63–72cm