The Réunion kestrel is an extinct bird of prey which belongs to the falcon family. It was endemic to the Mascarene island of Réunion and was part of the Western Indian Ocean radiation of kestrels.
Region
Mascarene Islands, Western Indian Ocean
Typical Environment
Endemic to the volcanic island of Réunion, it likely used a mix of habitats similar to other island kestrels. These would have included forest edges, open shrublands, and coastal or montane cliffs suitable for nesting. Foraging probably occurred over clearings, lava flows with sparse vegetation, and agricultural openings after human arrival. Given Réunion’s steep terrain, ravines and escarpments would have provided hunting and nesting sites.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 2000 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The Réunion kestrel was an extinct falcon endemic to Réunion in the Mascarene Islands, known from subfossil remains and early colonial accounts by Dubois. It was part of the Western Indian Ocean radiation of kestrels alongside the Mauritius, Madagascar, and Seychelles kestrels. Its extinction likely followed rapid habitat change and the introduction of predators such as rats and cats during early human settlement.
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with frequent hovering
Social Behavior
Like other kestrels, it was likely monogamous during the breeding season and defended a nesting territory. Nests were probably placed on cliffs, ledges, or in tree cavities without adding much nesting material. Both parents likely participated in rearing the young.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Probably a high-pitched, repeated call typical of kestrels, with sharp, rapid notes. Alarm calls would have been a fast, chattering series used near the nest.
Plumage
unknown
Diet
Its diet likely consisted of large insects such as grasshoppers and beetles, small reptiles like geckos, and occasionally small birds or rodents. As with other kestrels, it probably hunted by hovering into the wind or dropping from a perch. Prey would be seized on the ground or from low vegetation.
Preferred Environment
Hunting was likely concentrated along forest edges, open slopes, and cliff faces where updrafts assist hovering. It may also have used coastal plains and agricultural openings created after human settlement.
