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Mauritius Kestrel
Falco punctatus Temminck, 1821
Falconidae — Caracaras, Falcons
Mauritius Kestrel, Falco punctatus, is a bird of prey found in Mauritius in the Indian Ocean, where it breeds in the island’s forests, cliffs and ravines on the southwestern plateau. It is the most distinctive of the Indian Ocean kestrels and the most distant living member of the western Indian Ocean group. The species evolved on Mauritius after colonising the island, probably during the Gelasian. Once almost lost, it later became the national bird of Mauritius in March 2022, marking the 30th anniversary of the republic.
- Order
- Falconiformes
- Family
- Falconidae — Caracaras, Falcons
- Breeding range
- Indian Ocean: Mauritius (c Mascarenes)
