The Cuban kestrel (Falco kurochkini) was a species of small falcon in the family Falconidae that was formerly endemic to the island of Cuba.

[1] It was intermediate in size between two extant species of falcon known from Cuba, the American kestrel (F. sparverius) and the merlin (F. columbarius).

[2] With these traits, F. kurochkini was likely a terrestrial bird of open areas, chasing prey on foot not unlike a small caracara.

[1] Fossil evidence indicates that F. kurochkini was sympatric with the endemic Cuban subspecies of American kestrel (F. sparverius sparverioides), which remains extant today.

F. kurochkini likely went extinct due to its terrestrial habits, which made it vulnerable to fires set by Paleo-Indians as well as invasive species introduced by Europeans.