A comparison of the diet of the common kestrel falco tinnunculus in south africa and europe

Abstract

The diet of the Southern African Kestrel Falco tinnunculus rupicolus was studied in both a flat and a hilly area in the eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Diet was determined by direct observation of prey captured, prey brought to nests and an analysis of pellets collected on a monthly basis throughout the year. The main component of the diet consisted of arthropods, primarily Orthoptera and Arachnida, while the few vertebrates eaten included birds and lizards. Southern African Kestrels on the flats ate more vertebrate prey than those in the hills. Arthropods were taken throughout the year, whereas vertebrates were taken mainly during winter by Southern African Kestrels on the flats. Vertebrates were taken more often during flight-hunting on the flats, and by perch-hunting in the hills. Males brought vertebrates to the females during incubation, whereas the chicks were fed vertebrates and arthropods during nestling and post fledging periods. Diet differed from that of western European Kestrels by having a large invertebrate component for both breeding and non-breeding birds. © 1994 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.