The Mauritius kestrel (Falco punctatus) is a bird of prey from the family Falconidae endemic to the forests of Mauritius, where it is restricted to the southwestern plateau's forests, cliffs, and ravines.[3]
It is the most distinct of the Indian Ocean kestrels. It colonized its island home to evolve into a distinct species probably during the Gelasian (Late Pliocene[4]).
It is the most distant living species among the western Indian Ocean kestrels (Groombridge et al. 2002, qv Réunion kestrel).
In 1974 the Mauritius kestrel was close to extinction, with only five or, possibly, six known birds of which two in captivity and a solitary breeding female. In 1985, numbers were estimated to have increased slightly in the wild, but it remained critically endangered at fewer than 15 individuals.[5]
After considerable pioneering conservation efforts by Carl G. Jones and Abdool Wahab Owadally the numbers had increased to circa 400 birds in 2019. This conservation achievement is regarded as one of the most successful and best documented bird restoration projects in the world.[6] It was proclaimed the national bird of Mauritius in March 2022 to mark the 30th anniversary of the Republic of Mauritius.[7]
^BirdLife International (2016). "Falco punctatus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22696373A93557909. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22696373A93557909.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
^Ellis, Richard (2004). No Turning Back: The Life and Death of Animal Species. New York: Harper Perennial. p. 279. ISBN 0-06-055804-0.
^
Possibly to be moved to the Early Pleistocene. See Groombridge et al. (2002) for a thorough discussion of this species' recent evolutionary history.
^THE STATUS, ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION OF THE MAURITIUS KESTREL(PDF). 1985. p. 211. The Mauritius Kestrel (Falco punctatus) had been studied since early 1973 and its life history is now fairly well known. It is a distinctive island form, the males averaging 130-140g and the females 160-170g. There is no readily detectable difference between adults and immatures, as all have the female type plumage. The species has evolved in the evergreen sub-tropical forests of Mauritius and occupies a niche similar to that of an accipiter. In morphology and behaviour it also shows convergence with accipiters, with short rounded wings and a dashing hunting technique. Considerable attention has been focused on this kestrel because of its extreme rarity and apparent impending extinction. In 1974 the world population was stated to be only six individuals, including two in captivity. Since then the kestrel is thought to have increased slightly in the wild, but it still remains critically endangered at fewer than 15 individuals.
^"The Mauritius Kestrel: A Conservation Success Story | Wildlife Preservation Canada Blog".
^"The Mauritius Kestrel officially proclaimed National Bird of the Republic".
The Mauritiuskestrel (Falco punctatus) is a bird of prey from the family Falconidae endemic to the forests of Mauritius, where it is restricted to the...
the true kestrels. Malar-striped clade or common kestrel group Malagasy kestrel, Falco newtoni Seychelles kestrel, Falco araeus Mauritiuskestrel, Falco...
more restricted distributions, particularly island endemics like the Mauritiuskestrel. Most habitat types are occupied, from tundra to rainforest and deserts...
settlement. Other endemic animals, such as the echo parakeet, the Mauritiuskestrel and the pink pigeon, have survived and are subject to intensive and...
Malagasy kestrel (Falco newtoni), also known as the Madagascar kestrel, Malagasy spotted kestrel, Newton's kestrel, Madagascar spotted kestrel, katiti...
species of Falco (such as the common kestrel, Falco tinnunculus) except on (originally) forested Mauritius where kestrels hunt arboreally more like hawks....
kestrels identified a clade containing the common kestrel and related "malar-striped" species, to the exclusion of such taxa as the greater kestrel (which...
River Gorges National Park in the south-west of the island. The Mauritiuskestrel, Mauritius parakeet and pink pigeon all came close to extinction but are...
Valley in Mauritius, is the home of the Mauritius Wildlife Appeal Fund's immensely successful captive breeding programme for the Mauritiuskestrel, pink pigeon...
"Birdwatching in Malta - Blue Rock Thrush". Retrieved 1 June 2012. "Mauritiuskestrel". 12 March 2022. "Golden Eagle". 8 July 2011. Archived from the original...
to 273 by 2005. An even more impressive recovery was that of the Mauritiuskestrel, which by 1974 had dropped to only four individuals, yet by 2006 the...
Mauritius is a multi-ethnic, multilingual and a plural society with a population composed mainly of four major ethnic and religious groups. It is often...
pike, New Zealand snapper, steelhead trout, greater prairie chicken, Mauritiuskestrel and Hector's dolphin and is the subject of many ongoing studies, including...
named "Kestrel", Air Mauritius' third A340-300 joined the fleet in April 1995. The airline started trading on the Stock Exchange of Mauritius during the...
continuation of programmes to reintroduce them to their own environment Mauritiuskestrel In 1976 there were only four individuals in the wild with one female...
Strigops habroptilus New Zealand E Mauritiuskestrel Falco punctatus Indian Ocean - Mauritius E Seychelles kestrel Falco araea Indian Ocean - Seychelles...
laughing falcon, forest falcons, falconets, pygmy falcons, falcons and kestrels. They are small to medium-sized birds of prey, ranging in size from the...
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