%201.jpg)
Kestrels have light-brown plumage with dark spots. Males have a grey-blue head, while females are all brown. The species has pointed wings and a tail that appears long in flight and fan-shaped when the bird is hovering.
With a typical wing span of around 75cm and weighing up to 250g, they are roughly the size of a magpie.
Kestrels will sometimes ‘mug’ barn owls, using their speed to steal voles that have been killed by the larger bird.
The kestrel is a vole specialist, with the field vole accounting for the majority of its diet. It will also take mice and shrews, as well as small birds and occasionally worms and insects. Birds are taken more often in places where voles are scarce, such as in urban areas.
Several hunting techniques are used by kestrels, but the most well-known is the hover. A kestrel will fly into the wind and use its tail and wings to hold its position in the air. Keeping its eyes fixed on the ground, it will swiftly drop to pounce on any prey sighted.
No comments:
Post a Comment