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Common Kestrel (Male) with a catch
Few interesting facts about this bird of prey are listed below, read at leisure -
1.It is one of the commonest birds of prey in Asia, Europe & Africa.
2.It prefers to hunt over open grassland; it has a specialized hovering hunting technique which distinguishes it from other birds of prey.
3.They are mainly solitary birds, forming into pairs at the start of the breeding season (March/April) and staying as a family group up to 3 months after the chicks have fledged.
4.It is one of the smaller members of the falcon family with the sexes having different plumage and the female is larger than the male.
5.The dominant color on both sexes is brown but when reaching adult plumage the male has a slate grey head and rump and a copper brown back with diamond shape markings.
6.They hunt mainly using two techniques; hovering & perch hunting.
7.The main prey of kestrels are rats, frogs, and lizards. The diet also consists of grasshoppers, caterpillars, earthworms and beetles.
8.Kestrels usually hover over one area, using their acute eyesight to spot prey. Once prey is seen the kestrel dives out of the sky, swooping down and pinning its meal to the ground with its strong claws. When there is plenty of food, the kestrel will hunt from a perch, launching into a shallow dive when its prey is spotted
9.Perch hunting is the preferred hunting technique in winter as less energy is expended.
10.They breed once per year and they nest on ledges, in buildings, in trees, or they use a nest that has been abandoned by another species of bird.
11.Predators of this bird include northern goshawks, peregrine falcons, sparrow hawks, eagle owls and tawny owls.
12.They are also known as European Kestrels, Eurasian Kestrels, Old World Kestrels and Kestrels.
13.Common Kestrel is designated as National Bird of Belgium.
Camera - Canon 1DX, Canon f4 600mm IS II + 1.4x TC
EXIF - ISO 400 Av 11 Tv 1/400 sec EC +1 Focal length 840mm Spot Metering, Cropped and used bean bag support
Nov'13 - Karnataka -Maharashtra border
