Birds of Singapore
by the Bird Society of Singapore
Falco tinnunculus
Family: Falcons and Caracaras · Status: Rare migrant · Size: 30–34 cm · Conservation: Not Evaluated
Breeds in Europe, Africa, temperate Asia, the Middle East, northern Indian subcontinent, western and southern China, Korea to Japan; northern populations winter south to Africa, the Indian subcontinent, southern China, Korea, Japan, the Thai-Malay Peninsula, the Philippines, and northern Borneo.
Male has slaty-grey crown, nape, rump to uppertail, broad black subterminal tail-band, rufous rest of upperparts and wing-coverts with blackish markings, dark moustachial/cheek stripe and pale buffish underparts with dark streaks/spots on breast, belly and flanks. Female resembles male but has dark-streaked warm brown crown/nape and duller rufous upperparts with dark bars. Similar looking Lesser Kestrel is smaller, has yellow instead of black claws, proportionally longer central tail feathers, and proportionally shorter outermost primary (p10 shorter than p8 in Lesser Kestrel; while p10 is as long as p8 in Common Kestrel). Adult male Lesser Kestrels have less spotted upperparts and grey upperwing coverts and tertials.
Open country, reclaimed land and grasslands; most likely on passage during raptor migration.
Hunts by hovering low over open ground or from a perch, scanning for small mammals, lizards, and insects.