Mauritius kestrel
E531911
The Mauritius kestrel is a small falcon once considered the world’s rarest bird, known for its dramatic recovery from the brink of extinction on the island of Mauritius.
Statements (66)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
bird
ⓘ
diurnal raptor ⓘ endemic species ⓘ falcon ⓘ |
| binomialName | Falco punctatus NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| bodyLength | about 26 cm ⓘ |
| breedingSeason | austral spring ⓘ |
| class | Aves ⓘ |
| clutchSize | 2–5 eggs ⓘ |
| coloration |
bluish-grey upperparts
ⓘ
rufous underparts with dark spotting ⓘ |
| commonName | Mauritius kestrel NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| conservationMilestone |
considered a major conservation success story
ⓘ
population exceeded 300 individuals by the 1990s ⓘ |
| conservationProgramCountry | Mauritius NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| conservationProgramLedBy | Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| conservationStatus | Endangered ⓘ |
| conservationStatusSystem | IUCN Red List NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| currentRange | southwestern Mauritius ⓘ |
| describedBy | Johann Friedrich Gmelin NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| diet |
geckos
ⓘ
insects ⓘ small birds ⓘ small mammals ⓘ |
| distinguishingFeature | relatively short wings for a falcon ⓘ |
| endemicTo | Mauritius NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| family | Falconidae NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| flightStyle | soaring and short glides in forested ravines ⓘ |
| foundOnIsland | Mauritius NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| genus | Falco NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| habitat |
cliff habitat
ⓘ
native forest ⓘ plantation mosaic landscapes ⓘ ravine forest ⓘ |
| historicalRange | much of Mauritius ⓘ |
| huntingStrategy |
perch hunting
ⓘ
short pursuit flights ⓘ |
| iucnCategory | EN ⓘ |
| kingdom | Animalia ⓘ |
| listedOn | CITES Appendix I NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| minimumWildPopulation | 4 individuals in the 1970s ⓘ |
| nativeTo | Mauritius NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| nestSite |
cliff ledges
ⓘ
nest boxes ⓘ tree cavities ⓘ |
| order | Falconiformes NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| phylum | Chordata ⓘ |
| populationTrend | decreasing ⓘ |
| primaryPrey | Phelsuma geckos ⓘ |
| protectedBy | Mauritian law ⓘ |
| recoveryMethod |
captive breeding
ⓘ
habitat restoration ⓘ hacking releases ⓘ nest box programs ⓘ |
| roleInEcosystem | top small-vertebrate predator in native forest ⓘ |
| sexualDimorphism | female larger than male ⓘ |
| taxonRank | species ⓘ |
| threat |
DDT contamination
ⓘ
cyclones ⓘ habitat loss ⓘ introduced predators ⓘ pesticides ⓘ |
| vocalization | high-pitched calls near nest sites ⓘ |
| wasOnceConsidered | world’s rarest bird ⓘ |
| wingspan | about 45 cm ⓘ |
| yearDescribed | 1788 ⓘ |
Referenced by (1)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.