About the Malagasy Kestrel
The Malagasy kestrel, also known as the Madagascar kestrel, Malagasy spotted kestrel, Newton's kestrel, Madagascar spotted kestrel, katiti (Creole) or hitsikitsika (Malagasy), is a small bird of prey of the genus Falco. It is named after British ornithologist Edward Newton. It occurs in two subspecies on Madagascar and at Aldabra. The race from Aldabra is also called Aldabra kestrel. Its closest living relative is the Seychelles kestrel; they were at one time considered conspecific. Their common ancestors appear to have diverged very recently, probably less than 1 million years ago during the Early or Middle Pleistocene. The Mauritius kestrel is more distantly related.
Source: Wikipedia
Taxonomy & Classification
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Falconiformes |
| Family | Falcons and Caracaras (Falconidae) |
| Species | Falco newtoni |
| Species Codes | madkes1, MAKE |
Frequently Asked Questions
What family does the Malagasy Kestrel belong to?
The Malagasy Kestrel (Falco newtoni) belongs to the Falcons and Caracaras family (Falconidae), in the order Falconiformes.
How can I identify the Malagasy Kestrel?
The Malagasy kestrel, also known as the Madagascar kestrel, Malagasy spotted kestrel, Newton's kestrel, Madagascar spotted kestrel, katiti (Creole) or hitsikitsika (Malagasy), is a small bird of prey of the genus Falco. It is named after British ornithologist Edward Newton. It occurs in two subspeci...
Where can I report a Malagasy Kestrel sighting?
You can log sightings of Malagasy Kestrel on eBird (ebird.org) using species code madkes1, or on iNaturalist.
Related Species in Falcons and Caracaras 65 species
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