The spotted kestrel (''Falco moluccensis'') is also known as the Moluccan kestrel.

Distribution and habitat

Spread through

Wallacea Wallacea is a biogeographical designation for a group of mainly Indonesian islands separated by deep-water straits from the Asian and Australian continental shelves. Wallacea includes Sulawesi, the largest island in the group, as well as Lo ...

and Java, the spotted kestrel inhabits grasslands with scattered trees, lightly wooded cultivation, and the edges of primary and tall secondary forest. Along logging roads, it occasionally penetrates forests, and sometimes inhabits clearings within forested areas. It has also been known to live in areas of human habitation.

Behavior

The spotted kestrel displays similar habits to that of the

common kestrel The common kestrel (''Falco tinnunculus'') is a bird of prey species belonging to the kestrel group of the falcon family Falconidae. It is also known as the European kestrel, Eurasian kestrel, or Old World kestrel. In the United Kingdom, where no ...

Diet

The spotted kestrel feeds primarily on small

mammals Mammals () are a group of vertebrate animals constituting the class Mammalia (), characterized by the presence of mammary glands which in females produce milk for feeding (nursing) their young, a neocortex (a region of the brain), fur or ...

birds Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweigh ...

, mostly

waterfowl Anseriformes is an order of birds also known as waterfowl that comprises about 180 living species of birds in three families: Anhimidae (three species of screamers), Anseranatidae (the magpie goose), and Anatidae, the largest family, which in ...

and

doves Columbidae () is a bird family consisting of doves and pigeons. It is the only family in the order Columbiformes. These are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills that in some species feature fleshy ceres. They primarily ...

, lizards, and

insects Insects (from Latin ') are pancrustacean hexapod invertebrates of the class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body (head, thorax and abdomen), three pairs of j ...

Nesting

Displaying similar nesting habits to other kestrels, the spotted kestrel can be found occupying man-made structures, abandoned nests, and cliff sides. In Indonesia, nests were found in a variety of locations, including the peaked roofs of traditional houses or in the crowns of palm trees.Spotted kestrel
''AVI Birds.com'' (retrieved 16 June 2014) Nests are usually occupied from March through September or October during mating season.

Voice

The spotted kestrel has a call described as common, a ''keek, keek, keek'', similar to other kestrels. While in flight, they tend to use a more scream-like call, ''rrrrit, rrrrit, rrrrit''.

References

External links

BeautyOfBirds, formerly Avian WebPlanet of BirdsFalco moluccensis-Fact Sheet
(birdlife.org)
Species account
at Global Raptor Information Network Birds described in 1850 Falco (genus) Taxa named by Charles Lucien Bonaparte {{Falconiformes-stub