Preliminary data on breeding, habitat use and diet of Common Kestrel, Falco tinnunculus, in urban area in Algeria

Abstract

The nesting of the Common Kestrel, Falco tinnunculus, was monitored in an urban environment (University of Oum El Bouaghi, 35°52′46″ N, 7°05′28″ E) over three successive years from 2011 to 2013. The mean clutch size was 5.75 eggs/nest. The incubation period was spread over at least 27 days. The hatching success was 0, 50 and 60.83% for the years 2011, 2012 and 2013, respectively. The size of the hunting area was between 5.92 and 255.07 ha. The diet analyses of Common Kestrel adults showed that their foods included grasshoppers (31.49%), snakes (12.7%), lizards (21.35%) and rock dove chicks (34.45%).

Paprastojo pelėsakalio (Falco tinnunculus) perėjimas buvo stebimas urbanizuotoje aplinkoje (Oum El Bouaghi universiteto teritorijoje (35°52′46″ N, 7°05′28″ E) 2011–2013 metais. Vidutinis dėties dydis – 5,75 kiaušiniai, perėjimas truko ne mažiau kaip 27 dienas. Perėjimo sėkmė 2011 m. buvo 0%, 2012 m. – 50%, 2012 – 60,83%. Paprastojo pelėsakalio medžioklės teritorijos dydis apėmė 5,92–255,07 ha. Suaugę paprastieji pelėsakaliai maitinosi žiogais (31,49%), gyvatėmis (12,7%), driežais (21,35%) ir uolinio karvelio jaunikliais (34,45% suvartoto maisto).

Keywords:

• Common Kestrel
• hatching
• hunting area
• clutch size
• urban environment

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to the University of Oum El Bouaghi, Association Nationale Algérienne d’Ornithologie (A.N.A.O) and the members of Association ECOLOGIA (Djamaa-El Oued) for their efforts to conserve bird species in Algeria.