Madagascan Kestrel
Falco newtoni
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderFalconiformes (Falcons and Caracaras)
- FamilyFalconidae (Falcons and Caracaras)
- GenusFalco (Typical Falcons)
- SpeciesFalco newtoni (Madagascan Kestrel)
The Malagasy kestrel (Falco newtoni), 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 (Falco newtoni aldabranus). 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. Wikipedia →
5–10% of wildlife watchers report a Madagascan Kestrel sighting in Ankarafantsika National Park, based on 30 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Ankarafantsika National Park
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Berenty Reserve | 🇲🇬 Madagascar | |
| 2 | Ranomafana National Park | 🇲🇬 Madagascar | |
| 3 | Ankarafantsika National Park | 🇲🇬 Madagascar |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Madagascan Kestrel in Ankarafantsika National Park?
About 7% of wildlife watchers report a Madagascan Kestrel sighting in Ankarafantsika National Park, based on 30 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Madagascan Kestrel in Ankarafantsika National Park?
November has the highest sighting rate for Madagascan Kestrel in Ankarafantsika National Park in our monthly data.