Editing Template:POTD protected/2025-03-12


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| style="padding:0 0.9em 0 0; width:300px;" | [[File:Mauritius kestrel (Falco punctatus).jpg|300px|Mauritius kestrel]]
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The '''[[Mauritius kestrel]]''' (''Falco punctatus'') is a [[bird of prey]] in the family [[Falconidae]] endemic to the forests of Mauritius, where it is restricted to the southwestern [[plateau]]'s forests, cliffs, and ravines. It colonized the island and evolved into a distinct species from other [[Indian Ocean kestrels]], probably during the [[Gelasian]] or [[Early Pleistocene]] periods. The Mauritius kestrel can reach a size between 26 and 30.5 centimetres (10.2 and 12.0 inches), with a mass of up to 250 grams (8.8 ounces) and rounded wings with a span of approximately 45 centimetres (18 inches). Males are slightly smaller than the females. It is a carnivorous bird, eating geckos, dragonflies, cicadas, cockroaches, crickets, and small birds. It hunts by means of short, swift flights through the forests. In 2022, it was proclaimed the [[List of national birds#M|Mauritian national bird]] to mark the 30th anniversary of the Republic of Mauritius. This Mauritius kestrel was photographed in the [[Ebony Forest]] near the village of [[Chamarel]].
<p style="text-align:left;"><small>Photograph credit: [[User:Charlesjsharp|Charles J. Sharp]]</small></p>
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== See also ==
* [[Template:POTD{{#ifeq:{{ROOTPAGENAME}}|POTD protected||&#32;protected}}/{{#titleparts:{{FULLPAGENAME}}||2}}]]</noinclude>