Lesser Kestrel

Falco naumanni

Other Names

  European Lesser Kestrel   Faucon crécerellette   Rötelfalke   Cernícalo Primilla   Rödfalk   Kleine Torenvalk   Grillaio

World: Widespread across much of the Southern Palearctic region. Range extends from southern Europe and most of the Mediterranean region, E through Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan and southern Russia, also Mongolia and China. In Africa its range extends from the NW down to S Africa. Also present in S Asia and Indochina.

Kenya: Migrant October to May. Virtually absent from the eastern regions but locally common to abundant elsewhere.

This is a small, gregarious falcon which can be found in communal roosts (these may be extremely large with numbers reaching the thousands). It is a Palearctic migrant seen from October through to May being particularly common February through April. Very similar in appearance to the Common Kestrel but the male (above) lacks the spots on the back and the dark moustache. The female can be almost impossible to identify just by appearance.

Although we've never seen hundreds of Lesser Kestrels in one roost we have been fortunate enough to see a group of about 25-30 roosting in a tree in the Mara. Of course in typical birdwatching fashion this was in the rain, in poor light and when we were in a hurry - so getting a photograph was out of the question! It was nevertheless interesting seeing so many small falcons together in a group.