Falco rupicolus
Silhouette: Shyamal · PhyloPic
In 3 days >90%
The rock kestrel (Falco rupicolus) is a bird of prey species belonging to the kestrel group of the falcon family Falconidae. It was previously considered a subspecies of the common kestrel (Falco tinnunculus). This species occurs in Africa, from northwestern Angola and southern Democratic Republic of Congo to southern Tanzania, and south to South Africa.
A slender, medium-sized kestrel, between 30 and 33 centimeters tall. Adult male kestrels weigh between 183g and 254g, while females weigh between 190g and 280g. The species occurs from Angola, south through the Democratic Republic of Congo as well as Tanzania, further south to South Africa, and in most of the places between. Noticeable places of scarcity include north and north east Namibia, Botswana, south Mozambique and tropical Lowveld, while in Zimbabwe it is restricted to high-lying central and eastern regions. The kestrel is usually associated with arid areas, but may also be found in open and/or semi-arid areas.
Rock kestrels feed on a wide variety of organisms. They eat primarily invertebrates, but have been known to consume rodents... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Coast National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | Golden Gate Highlands National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | De Hoop Nature Reserve | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 4 | Waterberg Plateau Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 5 | Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 6 | Namib-Naukluft National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 7 | Table Mountain National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 8 | Addo Elephant National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 9 | Etosha National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 10 | Pilanesberg National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 11 | Garden Route National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 12 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 13 | Moremi Game Reserve | 🇧🇼 Botswana |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dullstroom Bird Of Prey & Rehabilitation Centre | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | World of Birds Wildlife Sanctuary and Monkey Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
Very likely
About 70% of wildlife watchers report a Rock Kestrel sighting in West Coast National Park on a given day, based on 1,072 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 11th most-seen of the 192 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March
In that month about 90% of wildlife watchers report a Rock Kestrel in West Coast National Park on a given day, against about 60% in February, April, August and November–December, the lowest months. That is one of West Coast National Park's driest months, with about 15 mm of rain against 70 mm in June.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Rock Kestrel sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 13 parks where we can rate Rock Kestrel sightings, West Coast National Park has the highest daily chance: about 70%. Next come Golden Gate Highlands National Park (South Africa, about 30%) and De Hoop Nature Reserve (South Africa, about 30%). All parks ranked.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Rock Kestrel is recorded against all the birds logged in West Coast National Park (1,072 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
