Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Kestrel

 The kestrel is a small raptor in the falcon family. There are different species of kestrels found around the world. They include the common kestrel in Eurasia, Nankeen kestrel in Australia, grey kestrels in Africa, the American kestrel in the Americas, as well as several other species. Like other falcons the kestrel is designed for quick flight and maneuverability. Kestrels will eat small birds, like other falcons, but will also eat small rodents and large insects. They often hunt by hovering in place over a field while they search for prey.
Kestrels are in the small group of raptors where males and females can be distinguished by their coloration. Like most other raptors the female kestrel is larger then her male counterpart but her coloration is much more muted and earthy. This is a defense mechanism for when the female is on the nest incubating her eggs. since it is smaller then many other raptors the kestrel is often on the other side of the predator/prey relationship. Her brown striped pattern is camouflage that helps her blend in with the sticks around her nest. The male does not help with incubating the eggs and so it is not necessarily for him to be as inconspicuous. As you can see from the top photo the males are much more brightly colored.



18 comments:

Nonnie said...

what a beautiful bird! magnificent blue sky too!

Leslie: said...

We often see them flying above the marshes at Boundary Bay!

Leslie
abcw team

Roger Owen Green said...

I did not know that about them. I thought ALL birds had males that were more colorful.

MaR said...

I never knew a thing about them, thanks for a wonderful, informative post and gorgeous images.

K is for...

mick said...

Great photos of magnificent birds.

HansHB said...

Great photos!
Well done!

grammie g said...

Every time I see the Kestrel on a post, it so brings back the summer in 2010 I believe; when they nested in a big hollow of the tree in my front yard "I fell in love that summer"!
So fascinating that they keep laying eggs and hatching babies for
2 months !!
Very nice info, and photos, I really enjoyed it!!
Grace

Hildred said...

Wonderful photo, - we see the Kestral here, but only occasionally. Mostly it's the sharp shinned hawk....

Cindi said...

I'm pleased I was able to identify your kestrel without reading about it, altho I did enjoy your post!

Anonymous said...

Fantastic photography as always ~ Love the kestrels ~ great for K ~ ^_^

Lea said...

Beautiful photos, and interesting information!
Have a wonderful week!
Lea
Lea's Menagerie

Dave said...

A lovely marked species, one of my Favs when I saw them in Venezuela last year

Stewart M said...

Kestrels are a nice variation on a theme bird.

Cheers and thanks for lining to WBW - Stewart M - Melbourne

Along These Lines ... said...

Beautiful plumage!

Martha said...

What a beautiful bird the Kestrel is!

I found a bird for my K post too. :)

A Colorful World said...

An incredibly beautiful bird! So interesting to learn about too!

Unknown said...

Amazing pictures. The Kestrel is one of my favorites.

Mary Howell Cromer said...

American Kestrels, so gorgeous your images and I just leaned something about them this past week as well, not realizing that a kestrel, is not always an American Kestrel...missed out on an opportunity to win a great bird guide, but not realizing...oh well, I purchased the book after all;')~