Australian Kestrel
Australian KestrelAustralian KestrelAustralian KestrelAustralian Kestrel

Australian Kestrel

Falco cenchroides

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely
at Cape Range
156 Verified sightings at Cape Range From 2019 to 2026
2,258 Verified sightings across all 19 parks From 2019 to 2026
September Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Australian Kestrel

The nankeen kestrel (Falco cenchroides), also known as the Australian kestrel, is a raptor native to Australia and New Guinea. It is one of the smallest falcons, and unlike many, does not rely on speed to catch its prey. Instead, it simply perches in an exposed position, but it also has a distinctive technique of hovering over crop and grasslands.

The nankeen kestrel is a species of the genus Falco, allied to a subgenus Tinnunculus. They were first described by Nicholas Vigors, James Gleeson and Thomas Horsfield in 1827. Further descriptions — regarded as synonyms for the species — were published: Cerchneis immaculata Brehm, 1845; the later name Cerchneis unicolor by Alexander Milligan was published in Emu in 1904; and that author's name appearing in the assignment to a subspecies, Cerchneis cenchroides milligani, published by Gregory Mathews in 1912.

The generic name is Late Latin falco 'falcon' (from falx falcis, 'sickle') and the specific epithet is derived from Ancient Greek kenkhris 'kestrel' and -oides 'resembling'. The common names mosquito hawk, kestrel, windhover, hoverer are cited in the Australian Faunal Directory. Its common descriptor refers to the colour... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Cape Range

Brown Falcon
LC

Brown Falcon

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Falco berigora

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Australian Hobby
LC

Australian Hobby

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Falco longipennis

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Peregrine Falcon
LC

Peregrine Falcon

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Falco peregrinus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

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 Daily sighting probability
1 Cape Range 🇦🇺 Australia
~50%
2 Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~50%
3 Ningaloo Marine Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~50%
4 Flinders Chase 🇦🇺 Australia
~40%
5 Flinders Ranges National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~30%
6 Kosciuszko National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~10%
7 Great Otway National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~10%
8 Grampians National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~10%
9 Daintree National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~10%
10 Blue Mountains National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
11 Wilsons Promontory National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
12 Nitmiluk National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
13 Kakadu National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
14 Royal National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
15 Booderee National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
16 Lamington National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
17 Maria Island National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
Insufficient data
18 Litchfield National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
Insufficient data
19 Freycinet National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Australian Kestrel in Cape Range?

About 50% of wildlife watchers report a Australian Kestrel sighting in Cape Range, based on 156 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Australian Kestrel in Cape Range?

September has the highest sighting rate for Australian Kestrel in Cape Range in our monthly data.

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