• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Distribution map
• Reference and further resources

Taxonomic source(s)
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A. and Fishpool, L.D.C. 2014. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 1: Non-passerines. Lynx Edicions BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.

Red List criteria met

Critically Endangered	Endangered	Vulnerable
-	B1ab(iii,v)+2ab(iii,v); C2a(i); D	B1ab(iii,v)+2ab(iii,v); C1+2a(i); D1+2

Red List history

Year	Category	Criteria
2023	Endangered	B1ab(iii,v)+2ab(iii,v); C2a(i); D
2016	Endangered	B1ab(iii,v); C2a(i); D
2014	Endangered	B1ab(iii,v); C2a(i)
2013	Vulnerable	D1+2
2012	Vulnerable	D1+2
2008	Vulnerable	D1; D2
2006	Vulnerable
2004	Vulnerable
2000	Vulnerable
1996	Endangered
1994	Endangered
1988	Threatened

Migratory status	not a migrant	Forest dependency	medium
Land-mass type		Average mass	-

	Estimate	Data quality
Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident)	540 km2	medium
Area of Occupancy (breeding/resident)	316 km2	medium
Number of locations	3	-
Severely fragmented?	no	-

	Estimate	Data quality	Derivation	Year of estimate
Population size	140-170 mature individuals	good	estimated	2018
Population trend	decreasing	good	estimated	2013-2024
Rate of change over the past 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods)	25-29%	-	-	-
Rate of change over the future 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods)	5-15%	-	-	-
Rate of change over the past & future 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods)	20-24%	-	-	-
Generation length	3.81 years	-	-	-
Number of subpopulations	3	-	-	-
Percentage of mature individuals in largest subpopulation	1-89%	-	-	-

Population justification: The species underwent a spectacular recovery from just four wild birds in 1974 (Safford and Jones 1997) to a probable peak of 350-500 individuals at the end of the 1990s (C. Jones in litt. 2012, Jones et al. 2013), thanks to a successful restoration programme that took place between 1973 and 1994, and subsequent monitoring (e.g. Nicoll et al. 2004, Nicoll et al. 2021). However, since the late 2000s, a continuing decline has been observed, and most recently Nicoll et al. (2021) estimates the population in 2018 at less than 250 individuals, i.e. less than 170 mature individuals. Considering total the number of pairs monitored over all subpopulations, it is likely that the population minimum is c.73 pairs, therefore it is considered that the population is between 140 and 170 mature individuals. The species is currently considered to be divided into three discrete subpopulations (with the fourth subpopulation in the north of the island extinct since 2007), with no interchange between the subpopulations (Nevoux et al. 2013, Nicoll et al. 2021).

Trend justification: The peak population size is likely to have occurred at the end of the 1990s, at 350-500 individuals and 99 breeding pairs (Cade 2008, C. Jones in litt. 2012, Jones et al. 2013). Past estimates showed a population size of 800-1,000 individuals by the start of the 2005-2006 breeding season (Burgess et al. 2009; V. Tatayah in litt. 2006), but it is now thought unlikely that the population was ever actually close to reaching 1,000 individuals (V. Tatayah in litt. 2012). In 2007-2008, the population was estimated at 500-600 individuals but with only 88 breeding pairs (Cade 2008, Dale 2008), and in 2011-2012, the total population was estimated at c. 300-400 birds (V. Tatayah in litt. 2012). The current population is estimated to be less than 250 individuals overall (Nicoll et al. 2021). 
Declines have been observed in the western subpopulation, particularly in suboptimal habitat on the periphery of its range, since 2007-2008, with 30 pairs monitored in 2012 (three generations ago) (V. Tatayah in litt. 2012, Jones et al. 2013, Nicoll et al. 2021). In 2016, approximately 20 pairs were monitored in this subpopulation, with this number going down to below 15 by 2018. The eastern population has grown and stabilised since 2008 at over 50 pairs, whereas that in the southern subpopulation is relatively stable but with eight pairs or less (Nicoll et al. 2021). With two subpopulations stable and one decreasing (Nicoll et al. 2021), the species is therefore estimated to have declined by approximately 26% over the past three generations (and therefore placed in the band of 25-29% past reduction), 24% between 2013 and 2024 (and therefore placed in the band 20-24% past and future reduction) and projected to decline by approximately 10% over the next three generations (and therefore placed in the band 5-15% future reduction).

Country/Territory	Presence	Origin	Resident	Breeding visitor	Non-breeding visitor	Passage migrant
Mauritius	extant	native	yes

Country/Territory	IBA Name
Mauritius	Black River Gorges National Park and surrounding areas
Mauritius	Chamarel - Le Morne
Mauritius	East coast mountains
Mauritius	Macchabé - Brise Fer forest
Mauritius	Mauritius South-eastern Islets
Mauritius	Moka mountains

Habitat (level 1)	Habitat (level 2)	Importance	Occurrence
Artificial/Terrestrial	Arable Land	suitable	resident
Artificial/Terrestrial	Urban Areas	marginal	resident
Forest	Subtropical/Tropical Moist Lowland	major	resident
Savanna	Dry	suitable	resident
Shrubland	Subtropical/Tropical Dry	suitable	resident
Altitude	0 - 800 m	Occasional altitudinal limits

Threat (level 1)	Threat (level 2)	Impact and Stresses
Agriculture & aquaculture	Annual & perennial non-timber crops - Small-holder farming	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Past, Unlikely to Return		Majority (50-90%)		No decline		Past Impact
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Inbreeding, Ecosystem conversion
Biological resource use	Logging & wood harvesting - Unintentional effects: (subsistence/small scale) [harvest]	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Past, Unlikely to Return		Majority (50-90%)		No decline		Past Impact
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Inbreeding
Climate change & severe weather	Other impacts	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Whole (>90%)		Unknown		Unknown
		Stresses Reduced reproductive success
Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases	Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases - Felis catus	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Majority (50-90%)		Unknown		Unknown
		Stresses Reduced reproductive success, Species mortality
Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases	Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases - Herpestes javanicus	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Majority (50-90%)		Unknown		Unknown
		Stresses Reduced reproductive success, Species mortality
Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases	Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases - Macaca fascicularis	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Majority (50-90%)		Unknown		Unknown
		Stresses Reduced reproductive success, Species mortality
Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases	Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases - Rattus rattus	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Majority (50-90%)		Unknown		Unknown
		Stresses Reduced reproductive success, Species mortality
Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases	Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases - Unspecified species	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Majority (50-90%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Medium Impact: 6
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Other
Pollution	Agricultural & forestry effluents - Herbicides and pesticides	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Past, Unlikely to Return		Whole (>90%)		No decline		Past Impact
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Inbreeding, Reduced reproductive success, Species mortality

Purpose	Scale
Pets/display animals, horticulture

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Mauritius Kestrel Falco punctatus. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/mauritius-kestrel-falco-punctatus on 25/12/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 25/12/2024.