Fox Kestrel
Falco alopex (Heuglin, 1861)
Falconidae — Caracaras, Falcons
Fox Kestrel, Falco alopex, is a falcon found in arid open country across northern Sub-Saharan Africa, breeding from Mauritania, Senegal and Gambia east to Sudan, Ethiopia and Kenya. It is a large, slim kestrel with long, narrow wings and tail, and its plumage is dark rufous above and below with black streaking. The tail is narrowly barred in black, the wing feathers are dark and plain, and the underwings are pale. Juveniles show heavier streaking and clearer tail barring. It often uses cliffs and rocky hills, and its call is a high screech.
- Order
- Falconiformes
- Family
- Falconidae — Caracaras, Falcons
- Breeding range
- Africa: Mauritania, Senegal and Gambia to Sudan, Ethiopia and Kenya
