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

Taxonomic note
Falco araeus (del Hoyo and Collar 2014) was previously listed as F. araea.

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
-	-	D1

Red List history

Year	Category	Criteria
2023	Vulnerable	D1
2016	Vulnerable	B1ab(iii,v);C2a(i);D1
2013	Vulnerable	B1ab(iii,v);C2a(i);D1
2012	Vulnerable	B1ab(iii,v);C2a(i);D1
2008	Vulnerable	C2a(i); D1
2006	Vulnerable
2004	Vulnerable
2000	Vulnerable
1996	Vulnerable
1994	Vulnerable
1988	Lower Risk/Least Concern

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

	Estimate	Data quality
Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident)	2,080 km2	medium
Area of Occupancy (breeding/resident)	460 km2	medium
Severely fragmented?	no	-

	Estimate	Data quality	Derivation	Year of estimate
Population size	700-900 mature individuals	medium	estimated	2008
Population trend	stable	medium	suspected	-
Generation length	3.32 years	-	-	-
Number of subpopulations	4	-	-	-
Percentage of mature individuals in largest subpopulation	90-94%	-	-	-

Population justification: Genetic analysis suggests that the global population underwent a crash some time between 1940 and the early 1970s, and at one time numbered as few as eight (3.5-22) individuals, which is compatible with claims that there were fewer than 30 birds on Mahé during the 1960s (Groombridge et al. 2009). The last comprehensive census of this species' population took place between 1975-1977, with the population size then estimated at 430 pairs (Rocamora 2013), which equates to 860 mature individuals. This was mainly split between Mahé and Silhouette (and their respective satellite islands), whose population sizes were estimated at between 380-385 pairs and 35-45 pairs, respectively, and a successfully reintroduced population of 13 individuals on Praslin in 1977. 
Since then, populations on various islands have been surveyed, with varying results. Notably, the population on Praslin decreased from ten pairs in the 1980s to six pairs in 2003 (Pandolfi and Barilari 2009); whereas on other islands, populations have either not shown a marked change in size, or not been accurately determined since the last census. In 2013, a total population of at least 530 mature individuals was deduced, using a combination of survey results and records (S. Parr in litt. 1999), however this is now shown to be an error in converting 800 mature individuals down using a 2:3 ratio. All other evidence shows the population still being estimated at close to the numbers from the 1970s (e.g., Rocamora 2013), with an estimation from 2008 of 350 pairs in total (Pandolfi and Barilari 2009), including around 300 pairs on Mahé and another 40-50 pairs on Silhouette. Considering the slightly contradictory nature of these sources, the species' population size is therefore cautiously estimated at between 700 and 900 mature individuals (350 to over 400 pairs).

Trend justification: Following surveys in 2002, the Mahé population was considered stable (Millett et al. 2003). Considerable development and habitat alteration have taken place on Mahé since 2002, and it has been suggested that the population on this island has been impacted by this extensive urbanisation and is therefore unlikely to have increased since then (N. Doak in litt. 2007). However, population declines on this island have not been demonstrated, or linked to this factor. 
The Praslin population has declined from around 20 pairs in the 1980s to just a few pairs in the 1990s, and six pairs in 2003 (Rocamora 1997, Pandolfi and Barilari 2009). In addition, a reduction in tree cavities on Praslin since 2003 is likely to have occurred, due to death of Sangdragon trees (Pterocarpus indicus) on the island (Rocamora 2013), inferring, combined with the housing development on Mahé and the spread of non-native predators, a reduction in habitat quality. 
Although the overall population was previously inferred to have declined since the 1970s due to a smaller total population size being estimated, as this error in the quantification of the population size has now been rectified, there is no data showing such a reduction since the 1970s, despite the decline on Praslin. It is therefore suspected that the species' population is stable.

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

Country/Territory	IBA Name
Seychelles	Conception island
Seychelles	Mahé highlands and surrounding areas
Seychelles	Montagne Glacis - When She Comes
Seychelles	Praslin National Park and surrounding areas
Seychelles	Silhouette National Park

Habitat (level 1)	Habitat (level 2)	Importance	Occurrence
Artificial/Terrestrial	Arable Land	suitable	resident
Artificial/Terrestrial	Plantations	major	resident
Artificial/Terrestrial	Urban Areas	suitable	resident
Forest	Subtropical/Tropical Moist Lowland	major	resident
Forest	Subtropical/Tropical Moist Montane	major	resident
Altitude	0 - 700 m	Occasional altitudinal limits

Threat (level 1)	Threat (level 2)	Impact and Stresses
Agriculture & aquaculture	Annual & perennial non-timber crops - Scale Unknown/Unrecorded	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Past, Likely to Return		Minority (<50%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Past Impact
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion, Reduced reproductive success
Biological resource use	Hunting & trapping terrestrial animals - Persecution/control	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Past, Unlikely to Return		Majority (50-90%)		Rapid Declines		Past Impact
		Stresses Species mortality
Biological resource use	Logging & wood harvesting - Unintentional effects: (subsistence/small scale) [harvest]	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Past, Likely to Return		Minority (<50%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Past Impact
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases	Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases - Acridotheres tristis	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Causing/Could cause fluctuations		Low Impact: 5
		Stresses Species disturbance, Competition, Reduced reproductive success, Species mortality
Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases	Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases - Felis catus	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Causing/Could cause fluctuations		Low Impact: 5
		Stresses 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%)		Causing/Could cause fluctuations		Medium Impact: 6
		Stresses Reduced reproductive success, Species mortality
Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases	Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases - Tyto alba	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Causing/Could cause fluctuations		Low Impact: 5
		Stresses Species disturbance, Competition, 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%)		Causing/Could cause fluctuations		Medium Impact: 6
		Stresses Indirect ecosystem effects, Ecosystem degradation
Invasive and other problematic species, genes & diseases	Problematic native species/diseases - Butorides striata	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Majority (50-90%)		Negligible declines		Low Impact: 5
		Stresses Reduced reproductive success, Species mortality
Natural system modifications	Fire & fire suppression - Increase in fire frequency/intensity	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Past, Likely to Return		Minority (<50%)		Negligible declines		Past Impact
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation
Pollution	Agricultural & forestry effluents - Herbicides and pesticides	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Future		Majority (50-90%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Low Impact: 4
		Stresses Indirect ecosystem effects, Ecosystem degradation, Reduced reproductive success
Residential & commercial development	Housing & urban areas	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Causing/Could cause fluctuations		Low Impact: 5
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion, Reduced reproductive success

Purpose	Scale
Pets/display animals, horticulture	international

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Seychelles Kestrel Falco araeus. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/seychelles-kestrel-falco-araeus on 24/12/2024.
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 24/12/2024.