48 Indian BirDS VOL. 8 NO. 2 (PUBL. 18 MARCH 2013) The status and distribution of Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni in Gujarat, India Nirav Bhatt & Prasad Ganpule Bhatt, N., & Ganpule, P., 2013. The status and distribution of Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni in Gujarat, India. Indian BIRDS 8 (2): 48. Prasad Ganpule, C/o The Parshuram Pottery Works, Nazarbaug, Morbi 363642. Gujarat. Email: [email protected] Nirav Bhatt, H-52, GIDC Residential Plots, Wadhwan 363035, Gujarat. Email: [email protected] Manuscript received on 6 August 2012. 40. Lesser Kestrel F. naumanni juvenile female. Photos: Nirav Bhatt. Introduction Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni is a long-distance migrant occurring as a rare passage migrant in Gujarat, India. It breeds in Europe, Central Asia, China, and Mongolia, and spends the non- breeding period in central and southern Africa, particularly South Africa (BirdLife International 2012). There is very little published data regarding the Lesser Kestrel from Gujarat. Naoroji (2006) lists only one sight record for Gujarat and states that it is generally overlooked or mistaken for Common Kestrel F. tinnunculus. Khacher (1996) also lists a single sighting, which is probably the same given in Naoroji (2006), Grimmett 41. Lesser Kestrel F. naumanni sub-adult male. et al. (2011), and Kazmierczak (2000). Rasmussen & Anderton (2005) show it as a passage migrant in the Western Ghats and and follow a similar migration pattern; hence it is possible that do not show any record from Gujarat. Lesser Kestrel could occur in Gujarat during spring migration. Sightings References One of us (NB) has observed the Lesser Kestrel in the Little Rann BirdLife International. 2012. Species factsheet: Falco naumanni. URL: http://www.bird- of Kachchh on several occasions [40, 41; back cover] while PG life.org [Accessed on 1 July 2012]. has observed it once in the western part of Little Rann of Kachchh. Ganpule, P., 2011. The status and distribution of Amur Falcon Falco amurensis in Gujarat, India. Indian BIRDS 7 (2): 45–46. It has also been recently observed and photographed from a few Grimmett, R., Inskipp, C., & Inskipp, T., 2011. Birds of the Indian Subcontinent. 2nd ed. more areas in Gujarat. We have tried to collate the published London: Oxford University Press & Christopher Helm. Pp. 1–528. sight records (Table 1) and photographs, from different websites, Harvey, B., Devasar, N., & Grewal, B., 2006. Atlas of the birds of Delhi and Haryana. to consolidate information about its distribution in Gujarat. New Delhi: Rupa & Co. Pp. 1–352. Kazmierczak, K., 2000. A field guide to the birds of India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and the Maldives. 1st ed. London: Pica Press / Christopher Conclusion Helm. Pp. 1–352. Looking at various sight records, especially in the last two years, Khacher, L., 1996. The birds of Gujarat - a Salim Ali centenary year overview. J. Bombay it seems that Lesser Kestrel is a rare but regular winter (autumn) Nat. Hist. Soc. 93 (3): 331–373. passage migrant in Gujarat. Some stragglers over-winter in India Naoroji, R., 2006. Birds of prey of the Indian Subcontinent. 1st ed. New Delhi: Om (Naoroji 2006), but the wintering status is still uncertain for Books International. Pp. 1–692. Rasmussen, P. C., & Anderton, J. C., 2005. Birds of South Asia: the Ripley guide. 1st ed. Gujarat. Washington, D.C. & Barcelona: Smithsonian Institution & Lynx Edicions. 2 vols. Pp. Most of the sightings are from desert and arid areas. While 1–378; 1–683. the similarly migrating Amur Falcon F. amurensis is an autumn as Shah, R., Lesser Kestrel. URL: http://orientalbirdimages.org/search.php?Bird_ID=1053 well as spring passage migrant in Gujarat (Ganpule 2011), there [Accessed on 1 July 2012] are no records of Lesser Kestrel crossing Gujarat during spring Shivkar, A., 2010. Lesser Kestrels and Caracals in Kachchh, Gujarat. URL: http://groups. migration. Spring migration of Lesser Kestrel has been recorded google.com/group/orientalbirdingpix/browse_thread/thread/cf41b6a09b72c357/ from the Delhi area (Harvey et al. 2006). Naoroji (2006) states b9918195b08e1bd9?lnk=gst&q=Adesh+Shivkar+Lesser+Kestrel#b9918195b08e1 that Lesser Kestrels associate with Amur Falcons during passage bd9 [Accessed on 1 July 2012]. Table 1. Records of Lesser Kestrel F. naumanni from Gujarat, India S. No. Place Date Observer Observations 1 Little Rann of Kachchh (23˚12’N, 71˚34’E) 15 January 2006 Nirav Bhatt Female 2 Little Rann of Kachchh (23˚12’N, 71˚34’E) 19 December 2010 Nirav Bhatt Adult Male 3 Naliya, Kachchh (23˚15’N, 68˚56’E) 24 December 2010 Shivkar: OBPix Flock of more than 15 individuals 4 Little Rann of Kachchh (23˚20’N, 71˚15’E) 25 December 2010 Prasad Ganpule Sub-adult male and female 5 Little Rann of Kachchh (23˚12’N, 71˚34’E) 16 January 2011 Nirav Bhatt Sub-adult male 6 Velavadar National Park, Bhavanagar (21˚50’N 72˚06’E) 30 December 2011 Shah: OBI Female 7 Little Rann of Kachchh (23˚12’N 71˚34’E) 29 February 2012 Nirav Bhatt Juvenile Female Abbreviations: OBI: http://orientalbirdimages.org; OBPix: http://groups.google.com/group/orientalbirdingpix/.