Falco alopex

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: ParaHoxozoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Cladus: Olfactores
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Megaclassis: Osteichthyes
Cladus: Sarcopterygii
Cladus: Rhipidistia
Cladus: Tetrapodomorpha
Cladus: Eotetrapodiformes
Cladus: Elpistostegalia
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Cladus: Reptiliomorpha
Cladus: Amniota
Cladus: Sauropsida
Cladus: Reptilia
Cladus: Eureptilia
Cladus: Romeriida
Subclassis: Diapsida
Cladus: Neodiapsida
Cladus: Sauria
Cladus: Archelosauria
Cladus: Archosauromorpha
Cladus: Crocopoda
Cladus: Archosauriformes
Cladus: Eucrocopoda
Cladus: Archosauria
Cladus: Avemetatarsalia
Cladus: Ornithodira
Cladus: Dinosauromorpha
Cladus: Dinosauriformes
Cladus: Dracohors
Cladus: Dinosauria
Cladus: Saurischia
Cladus: Theropoda
Cladus: Neotheropoda
Cladus: Averostra
Cladus: Tetanurae
Cladus: Avetheropoda
Cladus: Coelurosauria
Cladus: Tyrannoraptora
Cladus: Maniraptoromorpha
Cladus: Maniraptoriformes
Cladus: Maniraptora
Cladus: Pennaraptora
Cladus: Paraves
Cladus: Eumaniraptora
Cladus: Avialae
Subclassis: Aves
Cladus: Avebrevicauda
Cladus: Pygostylia
Cladus: Ornithothoraces
Cladus: Ornithuromorpha
Cladus: Carinatae
Cladus: Neornithes
Infraclassis: Neognathae
Cladus: Neoaves
Cladus: Telluraves
Cladus: Australaves
Ordo: Falconiformes

Familia: Falconidae
Subfamilia: Falconinae
Genus: Falco
Species: Falco alopex
Name

Falco alopex (Heuglin, 1861)
Synonymy

Tinnunculus alopex (protonym)

References

Ibis 3: 69, pl.3.

Vernacular names
مصرى: عوسق الثعلب
български: Лисичи сокол
bamanankan: Sɛgɛbilen
català: Xoriguer guineuer
čeština: Poštolka rezavá
Cymraeg: Cudyll melyngoch
dansk: Rævefalk
Deutsch: Fuchsfalke
English: Fox Kestrel
Esperanto: Vulpofalko
español: Cernícalo zorruno
eesti: Rebas-tuuletallaja
فارسی: دلیجه روباه
suomi: Isotuulihaukka
français: Crécerelle renard
עברית: בז שועל
magyar: Rókavércse
italiano: Gheppio volpino
日本語: キツネチョウゲンボウ
lietuvių: Lapinis sakalas
Nederlands: Vosvalk
norsk: Revefalk
polski: Pustułka rdzawa
português: Francelho-vulpino
русский: Лисья пустельга
slovenčina: Sokol lišací
svenska: Rävfalk
Türkçe: Tilki kerkenezi
українська: Боривітер рудий
Tiếng Việt: Cắt cáo

The fox kestrel (Falco alopex) is a bird of prey belonging to the falcon family Falconidae. It is found in arid, open country in the northern part of Sub-Saharan Africa.
Description

It is a large, slender kestrel with long, narrow wings and tail. It is 32–38 cm (13–15 in) long with a wingspan of 76–88 cm (30–35 in) and a weight of 250–300 g (8.8–10.6 oz). The female is 3% larger than the male. The plumage is dark rufous above and below with black streaks. The tail is narrowly barred with black while the flight feathers of the wing are dark and unbarred. The underwings are pale, contrasting with the darker body. The eye is yellow-brown unlike the similar greater kestrel which has whitish eyes as well as paler plumage, barred flight feathers and grey on the tail.

Juvenile fox kestrels have heavier streaking than the adults and clearer barring on the tail.

The species has a high, screeching call, but is usually silent outside the breeding season.
Habitat and range

It breeds in the savanna region south of the Sahara from Mali eastwards as far as Ethiopia and north-west Kenya. It occasionally wanders west to Senegal, the Gambia and Guinea and south to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Most birds are sedentary but there is some movement northward during the wet season and southward in the dry season. It is often found around cliffs and rocky hills. It occurs from near sea level to 2200 m, especially below 1000 m. It has a large range of about 4 million km2, but is usually uncommon. Its total population is probably fewer than 100,000 pairs.
Behaviour

It rarely hovers, preferring to hunt from a perch in a tree or on a rock. It feeds on insects, lizards and small mammals. It generally catches food on the ground but also hunts for flying insects escaping from grass fires.

Little is known about its breeding habits. The nest site is a hole or crevice in a cliff or on a ledge. No nesting material is used. The clutch is thought to consist of two or three eggs. The birds sometimes breed in loose colonies of up to 20 pairs.
References

BirdLife International (2016). "Falco alopex". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22696402A93559888. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22696402A93559888.en. Retrieved 13 November 2021.

Ferguson-Lees, James & Christie, David A. (2001) Raptors of the World, Christopher Helm, London.
Global Raptor Information Network (2007) Species account: Fox Kestrel Falco alopex. Archived 2015-05-28 at the Wayback Machine Downloaded from http://www.globalraptors.org on 2 Aug. 2007.
Sinclair, Ian & Ryan, Peter (2003) Birds of Africa south of the Sahara, Struik, Cape Town.
Zimmerman, Dale A.; Turner, Donald A. & Pearson, David J. (1999) Birds of Kenya & Northern Tanzania, Christopher Helm, London.