Lesser kestrel

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Scientific name

Falco naumanni

Order

Birds

Additional location in the zoo

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Family

Falconidae

Social Structure

להקה

Activity

פעיל יום

Food

Predator

Food includes small vertebrates and insects

Dangers

Habitat destruction, damage to nesting areas, and the use of pesticides.

Zoo Conservation Program:

At the National Center for the Incubation of Raptor Eggs, which operates at the zoo, the zoo’s staff incubates red falcon eggs; the chicks that hatch are hand-reared and released back into the wild at the end of their rearing period. In addition, every year the zoo receives several injured red falcons or chicks that fledged prematurely; these birds are treated at the zoo and, once rehabilitated, are also released back into the wild. The exhibit houses a breeding flock, whose offspring are also released into the wild in Jerusalem and throughout Israel.

Feeding/Enrichment Time

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Habitat & Distribution Area

Asia Africa and Europe

found in various habitats, from open areas to forests. The lesser kestrel nests in South Africa, North Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia and spends winter in Africa, mainly south of the Sahara.

Location in the zoo

Bird Watching Trail

Conservation status

Deficient Data

least Concern

Near Threatened

Vulnerable

Endangered

Critically endangered

Extinct in the Wild

Extinct

Endangered status

Worldwide

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Israel

In the Bible

Weight

0.14

0.18

Life Expectancy

years

Body length: 27 - 33 cm, wingspan: 63 - 72 cm, weight: 140 - 180 grams. The females are slightly larger than the males.

Interesting To Know

This species is in danger of extinction, due to destruction of its habitat, harm to its nesting sites, (including within cities) and use of pesticides. In Israel, the lesser kestrel has become accustomed to living in urban areas, nesting within old buildings and hunting in city parks. Demolition of old buildings and city growth at the cost of green areas harms this species significantly. The lesser kestrel population in Israel is reducing, as it is in the rest of the world. Today, the lesser kestrel is determined a vulnerable species, according to the Red List of Threatened Species in Israel and the world. To assist in preserving this species, the Biblical Zoo has connected with organizations, such as the Nature and Parks Authority and the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, as well as with other zoological parks and academic institutions in Israel.

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