General Description
Upper body red-brown, wings red-brown, underparts white or yellow-brown with dark streaks. Head light grey with a dark brown stripe below the eye. Tail with black, rounded tip. Body up to 36 cm long.
Biology
Nankeen Kestrels hover above open pastures whilst hunting, looking to catch rodents below in the grass.
Habitat
Open grasslands, croplands and urban areas.
Coastal shores
Distribution guide
Australia.
Species Group
Depth
Water Column
Max Size
36 cm
Diet
Carnivore
Commercial Species
No
Global Dispersal
Native to Australia
Conservation Status
- DSE Advisory List : Not listed
- EPBC Act 1999 : Not listed
- IUCN Red List : Least Concern
- CITES : Trade restrictions (Appendix II)
Author
Wayne Longmore is a Senior Collection manager of terrestrial vertebrates at Museum Victoria.
Author
Rory O'Brien is a Collection Manager of terrestrial vertebrates at Museum Victoria.
Cite this page as:
Longmore, N. W. & O'Brien, R., 2011, Nankeen Kestrel, Falco cenchroides, in Taxonomic Toolkit for marine life of Port Phillip Bay, Museum Victoria, accessed 25 Feb 2025, http://136.154.202.208:8098/species/7884
