Indian Ocean kestrels

Indian Ocean kestrels
Malagasy kestrel (Falco newtoni)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Falconiformes
Family:	Falconidae
Genus:	Falco (partim)
Species
F. newtoni Gurney, 1863 F. araea Oberholser, 1917 F. punctatus Temminck, 1821 F. duboisi Cowles, 1994 (extinct) F. zoniventris Peters, 1854 F. moluccensis Bonaparte, 1850

Isolated on various islands around the Indian Ocean, kestrel populations evolved into different species, like Darwin's finches. Behaviour remains similar to other small species of Falco (such as the common kestrel, Falco tinnunculus) except on (originally) forested Mauritius where kestrels hunt arboreally more like hawks. Due to the scarcity of mammals on oceanic islands, several species have adopted a diet containing many Phelsuma and other geckos. The species can be distinguished by coloration, but all except the banded kestrel share rich brown wings with black spotting. Sexes are alike in color except in the spotted kestrel, where differences are minor. As usual in birds of prey, females are larger than males; considerably so in some of these species as this assists resource partitioning.