Diet of the Migrant Lesser KestrelsFalco naumanniin their Winter Quarters in South Africa

Abstract

Analysis of stomach contents from 386 Lesser Kestrels Falco naumanni obtained at Bloemfontein, South Africa, during the austral summer over a 12 year period (1984–1996) showed this species to be predominantly insectivorous. Isoptera (Harvester Termite Hodotermes mossambicus), followed by Solifugae and Chilopoda, formed the staple food. Lesser Kestrels consumed large quantities of small-sized prey, mainly Isoptera, early in the austral summer, while larger-sized food items, mostly Acrididae, dominated at the end of the non-breeding season. Results from pit trap sampling suggest that Lesser Kestrels are opportunistic foragers utilising the most abundant prey species.