Mauritius kestrel

Description

The Mauritian kestrel (Falco punctatus Temminck,1821) is a small falcon endemic to the island of Mauritius,probably colonized by an African or Asian kestrel during the late Pleistocene,and subsequently evolved into its current form.The specific epithet,punctatus,refers to the livery of the adult,finely spotted.The size of the species varies from c.25 cm of the male,to c.30 cm of the female.The weight is,respectively,of c.180 and 250 gr.The male,like all falconiforms,is smaller than the female (the phenomenon is called " inverted sexual dimorphism ").The wings,pointed in almost all the other falcons,are instead,in this species,rounded (see more "ecology and behavior").The potential for life is around 15 years.It is generally only reached in captivity.