Mauritius Kestrel conservation

Species background

Common name:
Mauritius Kestrel

Latin name:
Falco punctatus

Endemic to:
Mauritius

IUCN status:
Endangered

Distribution:
• Black River Gorges National Park and surrounding areas
• Bambou range
• Ebony Forest and Chamarel

Threats:
• Habitat destruction
• Lack of breeding sites
• Food shortages
• Predation from rats, mongooses, feral cats and macaques
• Nest site competitors, e.g, common mynah, bees, rats

Conservation opportunities:
• Establish new sub-populations in areas of high-quality forest
• Provision of artificial nest boxes

Ecology:
Feeds on geckos, passerines, insects and introduced mammals such as mice, shrews and rats

The Mauritius Kestrel is the last remaining raptor or bird of prey in Mauritius. While it was once found across the island, numbers declined throughout the 19th century and with the use of DDT to control malaria in the 1950s, the population nearly went extinct. By 1974, only 4 known individuals were found in the wild, making the Mauritius Kestrel the most critically endangered bird at the time. Intensive conservation work by the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation and the National Parks and Conservation Service has enabled the recovery of the population to over 300 individuals today. The population is divided into 2 subpopulations, a western population in the Black River Gorges National Park and areas surrounding it, and an eastern population in the Bambou Mountain range. The factors limiting the expansion of the Mauritius Kestrel are lack of natural nesting cavities, high juvenile mortality due to predation, and poor dispersal behaviour leading to low genetic diversity. To manage the population, artificial nest boxes need to be installed and maintained, and translocations could create gene flow and reduce the impact of inbreeding.

Project aim

The aim of the project is to ensure the long-term survival of kestrels present at Ebony Forest, in the surrounding area of Chamarel and in the Bambou Mountain range by maintaining nest boxes and gradually expanding the distribution of the species.

Project impacts

Maintaining a population of Mauritius Kestrels at Ebony Forest, in the Chamarel area and Bambou Mountain range would decrease its extinction risk by
• Expanding its distribution.
• Creating a corridor between the Gorges area and Bel Ombre, therefore increasing gene flow
• Increasing the population size
• Maintaining genetic diversity

Additional benefits are:
• Build local capacity
• Restoring natural predation cycles, thereby aiding in the restoration of the forest
• Raising awareness

This project contributes to the IUCN/SSC Action points and is in line with the Government’s policies and objectives as defined in the National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans.

Install and maintain artificial nest boxes to help kestrels breed

Ring chicks to help identify individuals later

Monitor the population so conservation actions can be taken timely

Between 2012 and 2014, the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation attempted to attract Mauritius Kestrels to Ebony Forest by installing artificial nest boxes.

Unfortunately, no breeding pair utilized the nests until 2019 when a first breeding pair was recorded. Since 2019, one or two pairs can be regularly found breeding at Ebony Forest. Four Mauritius Kestrel nest boxes are managed at Vallée De L’Est. The Ebony Forest team installed nest boxes in the neighbouring areas and monitors them regularly for breeding.

Denis