Dickinson's kestrel is a bird of prey of southern and eastern Africa belonging to the falcon family Falconidae. It is named after John Dickinson, an English physician and missionary who collected the type specimen. It is also known as the white-rumped kestrel. Its closest relatives are the grey kestrel and banded kestrel and the three are sometimes placed in the subgenus Dissodectes.
Region
Eastern and Southern Africa
Typical Environment
Found patchily from coastal East Africa through savanna and open woodland into south-central Africa. It favors palm-studded woodlands, riparian edges, and lightly wooded savannas interspersed with clearings. The species often occurs near wetlands and along rivers where prey is abundant. It uses tall trees or palms as hunting perches and nesting sites. Human-modified mosaics with scattered trees can also hold birds if perch sites remain.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1800 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Also called the white-rumped kestrel, it is a small falcon of eastern and southern Africa that often perches on palms and hunts from open woodland edges. It is closely related to the grey and banded kestrels and sometimes grouped with them in the subgenus Dissodectes. The bold white rump is a key field mark visible in flight.
Iillustration by Joseph Wolf
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with frequent hovering; strong, direct flight between perches
Social Behavior
Usually encountered singly or in pairs, often perched prominently on palms or other tall trees. Pairs maintain territories and nest in tree cavities, palm crowns, or old stick nests of other birds. Clutches are small, and both adults share incubation and provisioning.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Calls include sharp, shrill kestrel-like ki-ki-ki notes given in series, especially near the nest or when agitated. Contact calls are shorter, chittering phrases used between pair members.
Plumage
Compact kestrel with dark grey upperparts and paler grey to whitish underparts, showing a conspicuous white rump in flight. Wings are relatively broad with pale underwing coverts and darker flight feathers, and the tail shows a narrow dark subterminal band. Facial pattern is subdued, lacking a bold malar stripe.
Diet
Primarily hunts large insects such as grasshoppers, locusts, beetles, and termites, taken from perches or by short sallies. It also captures small vertebrates including lizards, small rodents, small birds, and occasionally bats. Prey is often seized on the ground or in low flight and consumed on a perch.
Preferred Environment
Forages along woodland edges, palm savannas, river margins, and open clearings with scattered trees. It uses elevated perches to scan for prey and will hover briefly over open ground when needed.
