Madagascar falcon

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Madagascar falcon
Crecerelle.malgache1.jpg

Madagascar Falcon ( Falco newtoni )

Systematics
Class : Birds (aves)
Order : Falk-like (falconiformes)
Family : Falconies (Falconidae)
Subfamily : True falcon (Falconinae)
Genre : Falcon ( falco )
Type : Madagascar falcon
Scientific name
Falco newtoni
( Gurney , 1863)

The Madagascar falcon ( Falco newtoni ), also known as the Malegasse kestrel , Katiti ( Creole ) or Hitikitike ( Malagasy ), is a bird from the genus of the falcon (Falco). It was named after the British ornithologist Edward Newton . It occurs in two races on Madagascar ( Falco newtoni newtoni ) and the Aldabra atoll. The subspecies of Aldabra is also called Aldabrafalke ( Falco newtoni aldabranus called).

features

Madagascar falcon

The height is 30 cm. The wing length is 180 to 195 mm in the males and 188 to 203 mm in the females. The males reach a weight between 112 and 118 grams. The females can weigh up to 128 grams. The head and neck of the males are reddish gray with black lines. A thin, dark streak of beard runs from the base of the beak towards the throat. The top and the wing coverts are maroon with black dots. The upper tail-coverts are gray with black dots. The long flight feathers are black-brown, the broad inner side of the feather shows white and maroon-brown dots. The short flight feathers are banded maroon and black. The underside is whitish. The chest, abdomen and under wing coverts are speckled with black. The tail is gray in color and has six to seven narrower transverse bands and a broad end band. All feathers have white tips. The females are more maroon colored on the head. The underside is significantly more dotted and the tail is brown with black banding. In addition, there is also a reddish shape in both sexes. In this morph, the head and neck are almost black in color. Body and under wing-coverts are dark maroon with black lines and dots. The throat is yellow-white with a reddish tinge. The under tail-coverts are gray-white with a black dot. The beak is slate gray with a black tip and covered with a yellow wax skin at the base. The legs are yellow (nominate shape) or orange (reddish shape). The young birds are colored similar to the females. Its reputation consists of an iitsi, kitsi, kitsi, kitsi.

Aldabra falcon

The aldabra falcon looks very similar to the Madagascar falcon, but is slightly smaller. Its wing length is 170 to 183 mm in the males and 177 to 186 mm in the females. In some females, the underside can be completely white in color.

distribution and habitat

The Madagascar Falcon has a very large range that includes Madagascar , Mayotte and the Comoros . Its breeding areas are in Madagascar. Savannas, wetlands, but also artificially created landscapes near human settlements at an altitude of 0 to 2000 m serve as living space. The Aldabra Falcon lives on South Island (Grande Terre) in the Aldabraatoll . It has also been detected on the Comoros island of Anjouan .

Reproduction

The breeding and rearing period covers the period from September to January. It nests in tree hollows, rocky areas, epiphytes, in buildings or in palm trees. Often he also uses the nests of other birds, such as the tortoiseshell . The clutch size usually consists of four reddish brown eggs.

nutrition

Its food consists of lizards and insects, which are spotted from a low perch and either caught on the ground or in flight. It often goes looking for prey at dusk and dawn. The Aldabra Falcon mainly hunts adder-eye skinks and day geckos .

status

With an estimated population of 60,000 to 120,000 specimens, the Madagascar falcon is the most common member of Madagascar's falconry. The aldabra falcon, on the other hand, is rare. In 1981 the population was estimated at 80 to 100 individuals. The Aldabra falcon is listed in Appendix I of the CITES Convention, the Madagascar falcon in Appendix II.

literature

Web links

Wiktionary: Madagascar falcon  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations