No.6. The Kestrel



(Remember to click on the photos to enlarge the image)


Who can fail to be captivated by the sight of of a Kestrel as it hovers for minutes above you or stands on the wind, searching the ground below for prey species? No other bird of its size has the ability to hang in the air, motionless, with such deadly powers of observation and sudden stooping plunge to the ground.




Male Kestrel, hovering



Male Kestrel, stooping on prey

The Kestrel is one of the commonest members of the Falcon family of raptors, and is distributed throughout Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas. It is not the smallest, nor the fastest flier, but is clearly one of the most successful predators of small mammals and birds, lizards and larger insects.




Male Kestrel, ready to swoop


Kestrels are seen all year round at Secret Valley and there are usually a few pairs nesting in the trees alongside the golf course. There are two frequently used nesting sites - one in the trees by the 13th fairway and one by the 14th - but there will doubtless be others further up the valley. The birds have a very distinctive and loud call when defending their territories, and can sometimes be seen being mobbed by crows or other birds.




Juvenile Kestrel learning observation skills


The male and female birds show slightly different colouring. The male has blue-grey rump and tail while the back and upper wings are a rich chestnut brown with black spots, The head is mostly grey with a creamy-white throat and a dark moustachial stripe, and the feet and talons are a very distinctive yellow. The female is lighter brown on the rump and the tail is barred, the head is brownish and streaked, again with the dark moustachial stripe, and the back and upper wings are a mid-brown and black spotted. Both birds have distinct black wing tips and a buff breast with bold dark spots and streaks.



Male Kestrel



The exceptional visual acuity of Falcons, and of Kestrels in particular, is illustrated by the following fact, namely that an American Kestrel can detect a 2mm long insect at a distance of 18m. For you and me such a tiny insect would be completely invisible at this distance, and would not become visible until we were within 4 meters!


Female Kestrel


All photographs and text by Trevor Fordham

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